Fiddlehead Fern

Main Index

No other vegetable matches the exquisite form and delicious flavor of fresh fiddleheads. Fiddleheads emerge like miniature dervish dancers around the first week of May. In lowland forests from the Great Lakes to the Maritimes of Canada the Fern emerges in profusion.

_______________________________________________________________

Varieties
The fiddleheads of certain ferns are eaten as a cooked leaf vegetable. The most popular of these are:

· Bracken
· Ostrich Fern
· Cinnamon Fern or Buckhorn Fern
· Royal Fern
· Zenmai or Flowering Fern,
· Vegetable Fern

How To
· Select, Store & Cook

Health Benefits
Fiddleheads are an excellent source of vitamin A, a good source of vitamin C and provide some fiber. These flavorful plants are good sources of vitamins and minerals. Important antioxidants and bioflavonoids are also present, which are plant chemicals that help protect against disease. Eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowers the chances of cancer. A recent study found eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure.

Season
Fiddlehead Greens are the premium wild forage vegetable of Spring.They are only available for a short time starting mid April through June. After that, the weather warms up and the head of the fern opens up and fans out. Once the fern opens, they are deemed inedible.

History
Flourishing throughout Canada, in the United States fiddleheads love Maine, the central states as far south as Virginia and the New England region. Seriously sought after by adoring fans, tasty fiddleheads are the first sign of spring. The Penobscot Indians are said to still travel by canoe to the islands in the Penobscot River to gather these seasonal edible treasures just as their ancestors did in days gone by.