How to Prepare Fiddleheads

Maliseet traditional wisdom says that eating fiddleheads will help cleanse the body of toxins and impurities. Fiddleheads are very good for you indeed! They are high in fibre and rich in potassium, iron, niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins A and C.

It has also just been discovered that fiddleheads contain twice the antioxidents as blueberries and omega-3 fatty acids normally found only in fatty fish.

Directions:

1. Trim ends of fresh fiddleheads.
2. Wash several times in cold water to remove brown bits (chafe).
3. Place in boiling water and boil for 15 minutes, until tender and a bit limp.
4. Remove from boiling water. Drain and serve with butter, a bit of vinegar and a pinch of salt & pepper.

WARNINGS:

• Undercooked fiddleheads can cause food borne illness. Make sure you cook them thoroughly and never eat them raw.
• Many varieties of ferns are not edible and are poisonous. Do not pick and eat fiddleheads if you have not been trained to do so and distinguish between the many varieties growing in the wild.

NOTES:

• Fiddleheads have a flavour similar to asparagus, broccoli or artichokes and can be substituted for these things in your favourite recipes.
• Fiddleheads are very good for you. They are high in fibre, iron, potassium, niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and vitamins A & C. They also contain twice the antioxidants of blueberries and omega-3 fatty acids normally only found in fish.