ABSTRACT
The fiddlehead fern is a wild fern, native to many north temperate and sub-boreal parts of the northern hemisphere. Fiddleheads planted as ornamentals have proven to tolerate a variety of soil conditions, but thrive in moist soil. The spore-bearing leaves are initially green but turn brown as they mature, and are much shorter and located in the center of the regular leaves. The regular leaves are produced in the early spring, while the leaves that bear spores are produced in the summer. In 1783 in New Brunswick, United Empire Loyalists were poorly prepared for their first winter and had to resort to eating fiddlehead fern. The preferred method is to steam the fiddleheads until tender and flavor them with freshly squeezed lemon, sour cream, or cheese sauce, and add salt and butter to taste. Fiddleheads go well with cheeses, tomato sauce, and East Asian cuisine, and are excellent with Hollandaise sauce.
