The first of the fiddleheads are up! I harvested two servings of the spring delicacies from the early shoots. I will return for at least one more harvest before they go by. In northern New Hampshire, I start to look for fiddleheads just before Mother’s Day. Start checking earlier if you are more south.

If you are thinking about harvesting your own fiddleheads to eat, make sure you can tell the difference between ostrich ferns, which make safe, edible fiddleheads, and all the other fiddleheads that sprout up in the same place as the ostrich ferns. Some of the other ferns are technically edible, but they are not recommended because they can promote stomach cancer. Ostrich ferns are generally considered safe as long as they are cooked, but if you want to try them, you should do your own research and make your own informed decision about whether or not to eat them.

Ostrich ferns are GREEN green, not yellowish, not reddish, just green. The fiddleheads grow in groups from a crown that often sticks slightly above the ground. They can vary in size; young crowns produce smaller fiddleheads. Ostrich fern fiddleheads are smooth, and they have a pronounced u-shaped channel down the stem like celery. They also have brown, papery “chaffe” in varying amounts on both the crown and clinging onto the fiddleheads. Make sure your fiddleheads have ALL of these characteristics before considering eating them.

OSTRICH FERNS ARE NOT: fuzzy, hairy, bumpy, spiny, red, brown, black, purple, light green, multi-colored, spotted.

Below are all the other ferns that I saw growing alongside fiddleheads today. Make sure you do your research, ask an expert, and when in doubt don’t put it in your mouth!

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