Look for a tight coil with only an inch or two of stem beyond the coil. Choose small, firm, brightly colored fiddlehead ferns with no signs of softness or yellowing.
Fiddleheads should only be picked while still tightly coiled, and the short stem is also safe to eat. They are best harvested at about 10 to 15 cm (2 to 6”) tall when a portion of the tasty stem can be harvested while the fiddlehead is still tightly curled.
Fresh fddleheads keep well cooled and tightly wrapped to prevent drying out for up to 3 days. However, they are best used as soon as possible after harvest.
Fiddlehead ferns are fat free, saturated fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free, a good source of vitamin B2, copper, phosphorous and potassium. An excellent source of vitamin B3 and C and manganese.
