Fiddleheads are the furled fronds from a fledgling fern (say that five times fast!) They are harvested from ostrich ferns, which grow wild in wet areas of northeastern North America in early spring. We are often able to purchase fiddleheads from local fishers who forage for them along the banks of the Grand.
Indigenous peoples have traditionally harvested fiddleheads and introduced them to the Acadian and United Empire Loyalist colonists as they began settling in New Brunswick. Fiddleheads remain a traditional dish in these regions, with most commercial harvesting occurring in New Brunswick. Tide Head, NB is the “Fiddlehead Capital of the World.”
To cook fiddleheads, remove the brown papery husk before washing in several changes of cold water, then boil or steam them. Boiling reduces the bitterness and they should be cooked thoroughly before eating. The cooking time recommended is 15 minutes if boiled and 10 to 12 minutes if steamed.
Best way to serve them is with hollandaise sauce, butter, lemon, vinegar and/or garlic.
