Fiddleheads

[pikestabber]

I bought a house a year and a half ago. Last year around this time I noticed it has about 2 acres of solid ferns that grow up all around it. They are all virtually identical to the descriptions I've read on here, down to the paper bag like covering when they are young.

Any other (potentially dangerous) fern variety they could be?

What size do you want? I think I have heard under 10"?

What is your washing/prepping method & storage method? How long do they last in the fridge? Can they be blanched and frozen?

Thanks, all!

[Mid-Lake Rock]

I am not sure about different species of fiddleheads, however I'm attaching a link that has good info on preparing and saving fiddleheads. This is what I do with them and I have never had any issues.

Safely Preparing Fiddleheads

[pikestabber]

I am not sure about different species of fiddleheads, however I'm attaching a link that has good info on preparing and saving fiddleheads. This is what I do with them and I have never had any issues.

Safely Preparing Fiddleheads

Excellent info. Thank you!

[JP Z]

That is a great reference site thanks for posting.

[pushbutton]

Agree 3. Have never seen that before and kind of wish I had not.... as always have boiled for a lot less time than that and flash fried after. ...hate mushy veggies.

[pikestabber]

Checked behind my house Friday and the heads were just barely starting to poke out of the crowns. Figured I'd wait a day or two. Some rain delayed me for four days and I finally got out last night. 3/4 of my "stash" were already too big and "ferned out" already! That escalated quickly...

I still picked about 3 quarts of the smaller stuff and am anxious to try them. Anyone have a favorite prep method, or is just a basic sauté (after boiling for safety) the preferred way to go?

[JP Z]

Those look great Stabber........how high do they need to be to harvest them? I guess you don't want them unferlling into Ferns but do they need to be 5-6" high?

[Stick in Mud]

I like picking them when they're only a few inches above the crown. Not sure if that's the best time, but it's how I've always done it.

[pikestabber]

Those look great Stabber........how high do they need to be to harvest them? I guess you don't want them unferlling into Ferns but do they need to be 5-6" high?

This was literally my first pick, so I am rookie for sure, but I've heard a few different things. One criteria that seems to be consistent is to pick them before they are 10" high. Another thing I read was to pick them when they are just 1"-3" high, and I assume that is because they are more tightly coiled and younger/more tender. I picked anything that was 1"-5" or so and kept just the "heads" (although some pics I have seen include harvesting more of the stem as well). For sure the ones that were 3" and under were the best looking specimens, to my untrained eye anyhow.

I made the mistake, I guess, of picking all the heads off of several crowns and found out later I should've saved about half the heads per crown for sustainability reasons. I only picked about a 1/2% of what was around because the other plants had grown up so much, so I don't feel too bad. I blanched them and froze them, and if they taste anything like they smelled when they were blanching I am betting on delicious. Really had a nice asparagus aroma to them.

[Stick in Mud]

Yeah, you gotta be careful not to overpick them. I will only take two or three per plant, leaving the majority there. I always get bummed out to find a patch of them that's been picked completely clean...not going to be any ferns there for a while.

[JP Z]

Thanks guys! Yeah my Ramp spot had a ton of them so I was gonna go there and pick some. And my parents yard has a bunch I found out this weekend.....I'll probably save those.

[JP Z]

Alright.........I'm picking fiddleheads. It's time!