Spring’s arrival brings new seasonal produce, but some of it goes as fast as it arrives. Fiddleheads are an example of a springtime delicacy with a short season. The shoots can be found at farmer’s markets and grocery stores from April to June and they make a great addition to a variety of spring and summer meals.
But before buying fiddleheads you need to know how to prepare them — the asparagus-like ingredient can easily give you food poisoning if it’s not correctly cleaned, cooked and stored.
What are fiddleheads?
The curled shoots are foraged from ostrich ferns (a type of plant) and used as vegetables for cooking. Fiddleheads can grow on ostrich ferns in clusters ranging anywhere from three to 12 fiddleheads per plant. They’re very popular in Canada and parts of the United States, where fiddleheads are considered a delicacy. But eating raw or undercooked fiddleheads can cause food-borne illness, so you should know how to cook the shoot before buying them come April.
