Fiddleheads or fiddlehead greens are the furled fronds of a young ostrich fern. The young shoots look like tiny scrolls popping out of the dirt and are only available for a short time in the spring.

Cindy McMullen
Cindy McMullen
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When foraging for fiddleheads, it's important to only harvest a few out of the cluster, or the fern will die.

Bill Simons‎
Bill Simons‎
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Many consider fiddleheads a delicacy. They're found in the wild in certain parts of the U.S. and Canada and sometimes sold in supermarkets. We found these at Hannaford.

Cindy McMullen
Cindy McMullen
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Fiddleheads are found in woodland areas near streams in dense clumps. Remember, only pick a few, so you don't kill the fern.

Haba Jane‎ 1
Haba Jane‎ 1
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Fiddleheads can be sautéd, boiled, or steamed right after harvest. The Spruce Eats describe the tase of fiddleheads as a grassy, springlike flavor with a hint of nuttiness. Some say they taste like a cross between asparagus and young spinach.

Irene Wilson
Irene Wilson
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Here's what you had to say about fiddleheads:

 

Patricia Mucks Alvarez 1
Patricia Mucks Alvarez 1
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Mary Ellen Brown McMullen: Newly sprouting fern also called fern diddles. They are delicious!!

Dave Koegel: A beer, an IPA I believe, fiddleheadbrewing.com.

Kate Mondi: It's a baby fern, picked out in the woods before they sprout up into a fern. Saute with oil and garlic; they're so good!

Dave Wheeler: The top of a fiddle guitar.

Kevin Keating: Also a brewing company in VT and a restaurant in Chenango

Michelle Maneri: It's a fern! Or a beer... depends on who you talk to!

Beth Coombs: Isn't it an unfurled plant that tastes like your front lawn clippings?

Lorraine Garland-Chapman: A Charlie Daniels fan? LOL

Jane Mcintosh-Martin: A fern. Very early In the spring, when they are sprouting, they have a curled top that resembles a fiddle.

Bill Klaiber: An early fern when it first pops up. Delectable

Please share your favorite fiddlehead recipes with us in the comments.

Joseph Zilvinskis
Joseph Zilvinskis
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