April 22nd 2010The time for fiddleheads is here! Every year I've gathered a few, maybe enough to make a meal. But THIS year I wanted enough to last me all year! I only got about half as many as I wanted, but it is still a respectable amount.
A word about fiddleheads....
I've talked to some Mainers who say they eat any fern that is shaped like a fiddlehead. It is true, that you wont drop dead from eating the less then ideal species of fiddleheads but the truth of the matter is there are some you should avoid. With out going into specifics, eating the wrong type of fiddleheads can result in improper absorption of certain vitamins. There is no need to worry however, because it is easy to tell the difference between the good types and bad types.
A word about fiddleheads....
I've talked to some Mainers who say they eat any fern that is shaped like a fiddlehead. It is true, that you wont drop dead from eating the less then ideal species of fiddleheads but the truth of the matter is there are some you should avoid. With out going into specifics, eating the wrong type of fiddleheads can result in improper absorption of certain vitamins. There is no need to worry however, because it is easy to tell the difference between the good types and bad types.
Without going into scientific details, there are some easy features you can use to distinguish whats good to eat.
"Good Fiddle Heads" have a deep "V" shaped grove running their entire length. They also possess a covering of dark brown scales. These characteristics indicate Ostrich Fern, the best type.DO NOT EAT FURRY FIDDLEHEADS!
"Bad Fiddle Heads" lack the deep grove and possess a thick woolly covering. This light colored fuzz is a key characteristic to note. Fuzzy fiddle heads could be Cinnamon Fern and Interrupted Fern (not good to eat)Besides species selection- make sure to gather only tightly curled fiddleheads. Also, don't waste the stalk. If the stalk breaks easily then it is good to eat too!
So with that being said.. here are some pictures of fiddle head foraging..
Picking Perfect Phiddle-heads
Yummy
My goofy dog Coal
My Beautiful Girlfriend Lianna harvesting some sexy Fiddleheads 
Coal helping us gather fiddle heads (by stomping all over them while eating random forest debris)
The Fruits of our Labor! All washed, packed, and frozen
Beyond fiddleheads...
During the journey we found another neat wild edible, Japenese Knotweed. This terribly invasive creature resembles bamboo and has useful young shoots. They can be skinned and boiled like asparagus or eaten raw. When eaten raw they have a tasty sour candy taste!
Tasty Young Shoots
Picking a Juicy young Knotweed shoot
