EAT YOUR YARD:
​Fiddlehead Ferns

From Theresa:

Fiddleheads, which refer to the edible part of the Ostrich Fern, are a vegetable with a very short but welcome season, because it is one of the first plants you can eat in the Spring after a long Winter.  The season is so short that we sometimes miss it entirely. As soon as you have some warm days in the Spring, be sure to check your ferns, and keep checking them daily. They pop up fast and seem to stay in their edible stage for only a day or two.

Here's what we've learned so far about growing and eating fiddleheads in our tiny yard:

How to Grow Ostrich Ferns:

• ​Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is native to most of North America.
• It grows in Zones 2-8.
• It prefers to grow in the shade (full or part), but can also take full sun if it gets a lot of water. It prefers moist soils, but grows in drier areas in our yard.
• It is a very large plant, growing up to 5' feet tall.
• Once established it spreads easily to create a thick stand of beautiful, emerald green ferns. 
• Ostrich ferns for planting have been easy to locate in our area- local nurseries that sell native plants have them, and they are also abundant in Spring plant sales hosted by area gardening clubs (since they spread, gardeners often have extra).
• Their size can be challenging in a small yard, but if your fern stand grows too big, it means you have extra to eat.

Our stand of Ostrich Fern (on the left) growing in our
​shady side yard.  This photo was taken in June.

A close up showing how beautiful ferns can be in your yard.

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Below is what the ostrich fern looks like in early Spring before the leaves start to unfurl. The leaves are tightly curled at the base of the plant and they have a dry, brown, papery covering that drops off as the leaves grow.

How to Harvest Fiddleheads:

• Fiddleheads should be harvested in early Spring (late April/early May in southwestern Wisconsin).
• Harvest them shortly after they've emerged from the ground, while they are still tightly coiled/ haven't yet unfurled their leaves.
• Don't harvest all the fiddleheads from one plant if you want it to survive. However, if you look closely, you may see some uncurled leaves closer to the ground beneath the ones you want to harvest. In that case, you can pick all the ones that are the right size to eat and the plant will be okay.
• Below is what they look like when they're ready to be eaten.

These dark brown stalks are the reproductive leaves of the fern that produce spores. Many will remain standing through the Winter, and you can find the edible fiddleheads emerging between them in the Spring.

Harvest fiddleheads with a pair of scissors:

The photo below shows fiddleheads that have gotten too tall for harvesting- they would be too tough to be tasty:


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This photo shows that ostrich fern plant seems to mature differently. On the left are older ones too tall to eat, while the ones on the right are ready to harvest. This differing rate of maturation can make it difficult to find a meal's worth of fiddleheads at the same time in a tiny yard.

How to Eat Fiddleheads:

• My books tell me that fiddleheads should be steamed or boiled at least 10-15 minutes before eating or apparently can cause an upset stomach.
• Other books say they can be eaten raw and are good in salads.
• I've also read they can be pickled, and are often served with scrambled eggs or omelettes. 
• If you live in northeastern United States, such as Maine and Vermont, check out the Spring festivals celebrating fiddleheads, where I'm sure you could learn a lot about different ways to cook them.
• My field guides say that Ostrich Fern has no poisonous look-a-likes.

Steamed Fiddleheads with Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, and Nettle

Here's a recipe that uses three plants that are ready to harvest in early Spring:  fiddleheads, nettle, and chives.

1. Start with a colander of harvested fiddleheads.

2. Start frying your bacon:

3. Clean the fiddleheads by pulling off the brown, papery parts...

4. ... you won't get all of it, but you can get a lot:

5. We use our double boiler to steam the fiddleheads for 10 minutes:

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6. The double boiler has boiling water in the lower pan, from which the steam rises to the second pan to cook the fiddleheads. Meanwhile, remove your bacon from the pan when it's browned.

7. Get your eggs ready.  We are also adding chopped chives, since they are also best harvested at this time of year.

8. Scramble the eggs in the pan in which you cooked the bacon, using the yummy bacon grease.​

9. When the fiddleheads are done, remove them from the steam. 
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10. Put freshly harvested nettle (don't touch them with your bare hands) into the boiling water in the lower pan of the double boiler, and stir.

11.  They will wilt quickly...
(For more information about harvesting and eating nettle, see our Nettle page.)

12. Drain out the boiling water, but not down the sink!  Save it and drink it with your breakfast, it tastes amazing.  I've poured it into the measuring cup below.

13. Now it's ready to eat. We kept the fiddleheads and nettle in separate piles so we could enjoy their flavor alone, or they also taste great with a bite of eggs or bacon. We put our nettle water into tiny shot glasses...

Bear says "Bon Appetite!"

 And here's another cooking suggestion from Bear: Fiddleheads & Groundnuts

1. Harvest all of your Spring ingredients: fiddleheads, groundnuts, chives, thyme, eggs from the neighbor's chickens.

(For more information, see our page on eating groundnuts.)

2. Saute the fiddleheads with ground nuts and fresh thyme. (You could also substitute potatoes for the groundnuts, but they take longer to cook, so start them early and add the fiddleheads at the end.)

3. Fry some eggs in butter, with chives and black pepper.

4. Enjoy!