Another season has slipped in just like a gentle rain. Actually, the rain has a lot to do with the new season: Spring forage season. My last round of intel, a fancy way to say that I took a walk in the woods, provided the first harvest of the season. The fiddleheads are prime right now and a warning to all is don’t wait. The fiddlehead season doesn’t last long in that they grow quickly and when they reach their peak growth, it’s too late.

What is a fiddlehead? It’s a plant that looks exactly like its namesake: the curled head of a fiddle. Fiddleheads grow in small multiple clusters and just like crappies: if you find one, you’ve found a bunch. They tend to pop up about the same time the leaves start to form an overhead canopy in the woods and when that canopy matures enough to block out the sun, the fiddlehead season is long over. The best time to harvest is when they pop through the ground and before they reach their maximum height of a foot or so. As the plant reaches maturity the head of the fiddlehead uncurls and turns into something that resembles a fern plant.  

Where can you find fiddleheads? The easiest way is to look for them after they have matured and uncurled. Make a mental note to visit that spot next May 1, give or take a few days depending on the weather. They often grow in such great numbers that they dominate a small portion of the mostly shaded floor of the woods.  

Once you have found some plants that are still curled, cut them off an inch or so below the head. You can actually take the entire green stem but most of the flavor is in the head. Wash the plants several times in cold water and the brown paperlike covering on the head will easily fall away. ALWAYS blanch the plants for three to five minutes. DO NOT eat raw. After boiling the plants you can add to a salad or cook them further in an olive oil and butter combo. Season to taste and enjoy.
What do fiddleheads taste like? To me they taste like asparagus that won a cage match with broccoli, spinach and green beans. With each bite you can kind of taste a little of each with asparagus being the most dominant.

Happy fiddlehead hunting, which is a reason why they taste so good: because of the hunt.

What’s up next for OTT? Well, that depends on the weather. Stay tuned for stories and updates on morel mushrooms, asparagus and ramps.

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