The emerald green stems of newborn ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) poking out of the decaying leaves on the forest floor are one of the early signs of much-awaited spring in the Northeast. Foragers of wild edibles can’t wait for their first batch of this woodland vegetable, known as the fiddlehead. Although found in an almost continuous belt in the north-temperate zone around the world, this seasonal delicacy is most commonly harvested and eaten in the maritime provinces of Canada and in the northeastern United States, especially Maine and Vermont – some even consider it to be the state vegetable of Vermont.
Fiddlehead is a stage most ferns go through, but the term commonly refers to the edible ostrich fern and derives from the baby fern’s resemblance to the spiral-shaped tuning end of a fiddle. High in vitamins A and C, iron, and niacin, fiddleheads were an important spring food for the Native Americans of northeastern North America. “We tend to think of fiddleheads as a fun spring food, but for the Native Americans, they were actually a significant food source,” says Kit Anderson, who teaches ethnobotany at the University of Vermont. “They were one of the first nutritious greens to come up.” The curving image was even used by some tribes to symbolically mark their canoes and clothing. Fiddleheads continue to be an annual rite of spring for many northeasterners, whether they gather their own or buy them at a local market. And in recent years the consumer market for fiddleheads has been growing as people in other parts of the country, and world, have begun to share an appreciation of this unusual woodland edible.
Commercial forager John Beaulieu greets fiddlehead season with great enthusiasm. Beaulieu works full-time in the fish and deli department at Black River Produce in Ludlow, Vermont, but during fiddlehead season he gets extra time off to pick fiddleheads. His foraging business, called Vermont Wild Roots and Edibles, is dependent upon a good fiddlehead harvest. Beaulieu takes fiddlehead picking seriously, unlike many other foragers who, although they might be in it for the money, are much more sporadic about their picking. According to area chefs and produce managers, these itinerant foragers simply show up intermittently throughout the season with a freshly picked batch in exchange for quick cash.
Beaulieu leads us to a spot somewhere along the White River near Sharon, Vermont, on private property whose owner doesn’t mind the influx of gatherers this time of year. On this particular May day, though, we are the only ones here. We have to climb down a steep incline to reach this quarter-mile-long fiddlehead bed, which extends about 250 feet down to the river. Beaulieu has been harvesting this area for 10 years, and it’s apparent why it’s one of his favorite spots. The fertile soil along riverbanks is an ideal native habitat for fiddleheads, and we are virtually surrounded by deep green newborn ferns.
Not wasting any time, Beaulieu gets right to work outfitting himself for the job. His unique system for gathering has evolved over the 15 years he has been in the business. He starts with camouflage to blend into his surroundings and keep his location hidden from other pickers. Fiddlehead foraging can be territorial, he says, but laughs and adds, “At least people like to think that it is – if you get there first, you’ve got them.” Over his clothing he then straps kneepads with an extra layer of cushioning, since he’s essentially crawling around on his knees for several hours at a stretch. Most other foragers gather while standing up, he explains, but he found it was too hard on his back, and he can pick at a much faster pace moving around on his knees.
At his waist he wears a 5-gallon plastic bucket that he cut down to hold approximately 18 pounds. Thick leather shoulder and hip straps distribute the bucket’s weight as he leans forward and sideways to gather handfuls of fiddleheads, tossing them against his chest so they bounce into the bucket. “I lose a few by throwing them instead of placing them in, but the speed makes up for it,” he says.
To keep from dehydrating, Beaulieu wears a water pack on his back, and to protect his hands, he wears thick dishwashing gloves. He keeps a 5-gallon bucket nearby into which he periodically dumps his waist bucket. When the 5-gallon bucket is full, he dumps that into one of the large sacks he has brought along. Rounding out his equipment, Beaulieu sometimes brings his canoe so he can reach less accessible locations and haul out what he picks.
Beaulieu gathers quickly and intensely – up to 30 pounds an hour – and systematically covers a patch in rows. “I think of them as pennies,” he says. “How many pennies can I pick up in an hour?” He forages for four hours at a time and aims for around 100 pounds in that period. With the market rate around $2.50 per pound, that’s not bad for four hours of work. In fact, he says he has paid for much of his daughter’s college education from his foraging business. During his best season, he gathered 4,200 pounds of fiddleheads.
To most foragers, though, even those who do it for profit, foraging is as much about the process as it is about the product. “I get in really good shape,” says Beaulieu. “I make some money, and I get to be out in the woods. It’s not uncommon for deer to just walk by. Hawks land in the trees, and sometimes I see otter and beaver.”
For the casual forager who isn’t interested in making a profit but just wants to get out in the woods and harvest a natural springtime edible, there are a few points to keep in mind. Fiddlehead season passes quickly, so you have to be ready to pick at a moment’s notice. The stems can grow six inches in one day, rendering them bitter. In mid-Vermont, you can usually begin harvesting around April 20, and the season typically lasts three to four weeks. In other locations, temperature and elevation will influence the timing of the season. Traditionally, when the tulips, forsythia, and shadbush are in bloom, the fiddleheads are up and ready to be harvested. As for equipment, all you really need is a container that’s easy to carry.
Mature ostrich ferns usually have 5 to 10 stems growing from a central tannish rhizome that protrudes a few inches from the ground. Fiddleheads are best harvested when they have just cleared their hummocks and are still tightly coiled. The bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), widely believed to cause stomach cancer within a relatively short period of time, is sometimes mistaken for the ostrich fern by inexperienced foragers. If you know what to look for, however, this mistake is easy to avoid. Ostrich ferns have smooth, shiny, dark green coils covered in a copper-colored papery skin, and the stalks have a u-shaped channel on the inside, whereas bracken ferns are covered in a whitish fuzz, are usually lighter green, and don’t have the u-shaped channel.
Once you’ve collected your fiddleheads, rub the parchment-like skin off before washing (it sticks when wet and is much more difficult to remove after washing). Then, as soon as you can, wash the fiddleheads thoroughly in cold water. Store them in the refrigerator until ready to use (up to two weeks) or blanch and freeze them for later use – they keep up to one year in the freezer. Since fiddleheads contain a lot of tannic acid, it is important to boil or steam them for 10 minutes and then drain them and discard the water before you sauté them, add them to another dish, or serve them. This will help you avoid the stomach and intestinal upset (ranging from mild to severe) that can come from consuming raw or undercooked fiddleheads.
The flavor of fiddleheads resembles that of asparagus, and they can be canned for an unusual addition to the winter table. They’re also a tasty addition to stir-fries, omelets, and pasta dishes and are delicious batter-fried or cold in salads. However you decide to serve them, after a long northeastern winter, fiddleheads are sure to bring the pleasures of the woodland spring right to your table.
The Perils of Overharvesting
Some larger fiddlehead plants have two to three “heads” within the perennial crown so that if a frost kills the first set of fronds, the top will die back and new growth will surface. This way the plant can take killing frosts and still be able to send up new growth. However, while fiddleheads may be resilient when it comes to surviving natural elements, the same concept is best not applied to foraging. Someone could remove all of the young stems on a plant and within two weeks they would be replaced by new ones. But if someone else comes along and mistakenly forages those stems, the plant will produce smaller growth for the next few years. Thus, many longtime foragers recommend always leaving at least one fiddlehead on a plant. They also caution against harvesting from very new crowns with less than six stems to avoid stressing the younger plants.
Wild and Elegant
This time of year, fiddleheads are popular on the menu at many fine restaurants. In the hands of the right chef, this wild vegetable can be transformed into an elegant meal. David Hoene is executive chef at Pauline’s in South Burlington, Vermont, a restaurant that specializes in dishes made with wild edibles. Not surprisingly, spring is his favorite season. “It’s really exciting to have foragers showing up at your back door with something fresh. There’s always something new coming in.” Hoene finds that working with wild edibles allows him to be more creative in conceiving dishes, such as two of his favorite appetizers: Fiddlehead Ferns and Brie Balsamico is a delectable combination of flavors and textures, and Pickled Fiddlehead Ferns are snappy and refreshing. Both dishes are relatively easy to prepare and would make a light meal or side dish perfect for eating outdoors on a warm spring evening.
Fiddlehead Ferns & Brie Balsamico
Serves 4
12 oz. fresh fiddlehead ferns
1 clove garlic
1 small red pepper
2 oz. olive oil
1 oz. butter
2-4 oz. reduced balsamic vinegar
6 oz. Brie (room temperature)
Rustic bread for crostini
Salt and pepper
Lemon slices for garnish
To prepare reduced balsamic vinegar, simmer 8 oz. of vinegar until thickened to consistency of maple syrup and reduced by half. Set aside to cool.
Clean and rinse fiddleheads well. Blanch in boiling salted water 3 to 4 minutes, then shock in cold water and set aside. Bring fresh water to a boil and blanch ferns again 2 minutes. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Slice garlic thinly and add to pan until garlic softens. Add red pepper and blanched fiddlehead ferns and sauté on medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, coating ferns well and cooking until crisp tender. Add reduced balsamic vinegar and butter; lower heat to simmer and reduce slightly.
Cut Brie into 1/2 oz. chunks and place on rim of serving plate. Cut bread and toast or grill for crostini. Place on opposite rim of plate. Spoon fiddleheads and sauce onto plate so that sauce just begins to pool around Brie. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with lemon slices and serve.
Pickled Fiddlehead Ferns
1 qt. fresh fiddlehead ferns
2 cups light olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup each diced red, yellow, and
green peppers
Small bunch fresh tarragon, chopped
2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
1 lemon cut into quarters
Clean and rinse fiddleheads well. Blanch in boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes, then shock in cold water and set aside. Bring fresh water to a boil and blanch ferns again 2 minutes. Shock again, rinse well, and drain.
Mix all marinade ingredients together and toss with fiddleheads. Let marinate at least 12 hours before serving. Will keep one week in refrigerator.
Note: Chef Hoene prefers to rinse the fiddleheads repeatedly and blanch them twice instead of boiling them the recommended 10 minutes. Although this is a more involved process, he finds that it is adequate for preventing digestive upset while retaining the crisp texture of the vegetable.
