# Fiddleheads



## hfmanifold

So while morel hunting today (no luck). I found a nice patch of fiddleheads just starting to poke through the ground. I have never harvested fiddleheads before. I was wondering how fast they grow and be ready to harvest?


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## shroomtrooper

I heard they can grow fast, my first year also. I would check every day if I could.


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## Old Elm

"shroomtrooper " still up for tomorrow? Same place same time.


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## shroomster

manifold, do a little research as there are two kinds of fiddlehead that can make you sick and one kind that's delicious


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## hfmanifold

Thanks for the info. And I have been doing a lot of research on them. These were the tallest I found yesterday. From everything I read they look to be the correct species. 

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## mushroom_mentor

We just made a video on ramps and fiddlehead ferns. Don't forget to subscribe and like our video. Good luck hunting! [video]http://youtu.be/XHffZ8szP7o[/video]


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## Old Elm

Shroomtrooper – Would Monday a week from tmrrw 05/01 work for you? I was out yesterday &amp; today, and the morels are really tiny. my # 715-441-9721


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## shroomtrooper

Yes that is good. Left work early today and found nothing. I am not surprised. I just wanted to see some pins, but nothing. Couldn't get real close to the trees in fear of stepping on the babies. Closer to 2 weeks around here, going to be a long 2 weeks.6 days to start coming up, 8 to grow I am thinking.


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## shroomtrooper

Nice job Mentor, Just picked some leeks just 10 min ago myself. Cook them down in butter till there shoestrings with a little bitty crunch, pour over a steak, wow.


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## shroomtrooper

Well went back to the fiddlehead spot I was at last Thursday,(3 days ago) saw a couple 4" high, went back today and many are starting to unfurl, many pick able. They do grow fast. I took 2 from every clump and cleaned and boiled them for 14 min. They turned out really mushy. I just added lots of butter and salt, kind of looked like creamed spinach. Really good. So if your worried about not boiling them enough, no worries. Even if there mushy there good. Mabey I had too much of a rolling boil, but I was happy how they turned out. I froze some thinking all that butter will help, will let you know when I thaw them.


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## hfmanifold

Thanks for the update. I have gotten really busy with work and haven't been able to get back out. I'm going to try tomorrow to see how they have grown.


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## mushy galore

shroomtrooper,

If you blanch the fiddleheads for 4 minutes in boiling salt water and then finish them by sautéing them in a pan, they won't be mushy.

If you are just gong to boil them, then as little as 7 minutes can get them to the point where they are tender.


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## shroomtrooper

Thanks, I will try that. Are all the toxins boiled out after 7 MIn, should be if its tender


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## mushy galore

As far as I know, there are no identified toxins in fiddleheads from the ostrich fern. Bracken fern has toxins. Cooking of ostrich fern fiddleheads for as little as 2 minutes is all that is needed to make sure that you destroy any pathogens.

http://www.pressherald.com/2010/04/28/handle-fiddleheads-with-care-health-experts-urge/

This is one of my favorite sites for recipe ideas from a local chef: http://foragerchef.com

Type "fiddlehead" into the search and you will get a number of recipes, one of which has cooking times of no less than one minute.


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## shroomtrooper

love forager chef, did some pickling of his. where I pick them there is no river that floods it out, so what you told me and a little more research tells me ya, cut down the boiling time.


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## twisted minds

@ "mushroom mentor" is your info about not eating fiddleheads raw as informative as your tree identification tips from your first post where you mis-identified an elm? Just because you took "a class" doesn't make you an expert, much less give you a platform to spew misinformation about wild edibles. Maybe if you would take some more time to learn from seasoned foragers about Mother Nature and her abundance of safe, and more importantly unsafe techniques about harvesting wild foods, you would be more qualified to post intructionals on these subjects. I cringe to think of another amateur taking your advice when you make another mistake in future "episodes" and accidentially claim something is safe, not that you have yet to your credit mind you, but if you did and I didn't state my case now, I would feel terrible as would others that watch your videos and feel the same way as me. Not posting as offensive, just preventive criticism. I've eaten raw fiddleheads same as I've eaten raw morels, yes to some they may cause irretibality but to state plainly not to eat is just poor instruction. Best to state, may cause some to have adverse reaction, cooking is recommended,as with all wild edibles if unsure, get professional help with identification, and then do small sample tasting to make sure you don't have adverse reaction. Again, maybe you would get a more positive reponse to your posts if you spent a little more time either researching the topics or actual time in the field.


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