Chapters 6.15
6.15 - Fiddlehead ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
Emily Hickey , University of Guelph, Canada
Suggested citation for this chapter.
Hickey,E. (2022) Greens, Fleshy Stems and Gourds. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/
Background
Fiddleheads, also known as edible fern-root sticks or scientifically referred to as Matteuccia struthiopteris, are the curled up fronds of ostrich ferns. The name fiddlehead is used to refer to 3 different components of plants; the young furled leaf of any fern, the ostrich fern and the young curled leaf of the ostrich fern as a vegetable. They are classified as a vegetable since parts of them include a stem, leaves, shoots and buds. (Small & Kelley, 2013) When ostrich ferns first begin to grow out of the ground, they emerge as a curled up frond since they are ferns. They are covered in paper-like scales that fall off when the leaves uncurl. Ostrich ferns have dimorphic leaves, which means that they produce two sets of leaves; large sterile fronds early in the season and smaller, fertile fronds after June. Fiddleheads also produce runners, which are special scale leaves that grow underground and develop into the crown. (Von Aderkas, 1984)
Below is a diagram from Patrick Von Aderkas’s paper, further illustrating the makeup of ostrich ferns
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If ostrich ferns are harvested while they are still coiled tightly, you have a fiddlehead. If the plant is left for a longer amount of time and is able to mature fully, it would eventually uncurl into a leaf and grow into a full-size fern plant. Fiddleheads are one of the very few species of ferns that are consumed. It is the only native Canadian plant that achieved commercial success as a vegetable.
Another reason ostrich ferns thrive in Canada over the long, cold winter months is that it is able to go into a dormant state for the winter - like hibernation but for a plant. The crown surrounds itself with papery scales, mucilaginous trichomes and fleshy leaf bases. As many as 40 leaves in different stages can be encasing the crown which all emerge in the following spring. (Von Aderkas, 1984)
Botany
Fiddleheads are scientifically known as Matteuccia struthiopteris. They are taxonomy classified in the Domain Pteridophyta (also known as fern), Class Filicopsida, Order Polypodiales, Family Dryopteridaceae, Genus Matteuccia and Species struthiopteris. Another common name for the plant, ostrich fern, originates from the specific epithet. (DeLong & Prang, 2008, #13)
Geographics and first nation groups
In terms of geographical factors, fiddleheads need a moist but sunny climate to grow but they do not thrive in an environment that is constantly wet, which is another reason that it is not widely grown. The plant needs a specific climate but is abundant throughout most of Canada at some point or another during the spring months. They can be found in any province or territory but they can be found growing more abundantly near waterways in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The Maliseet peoples, located in New Brunswick along the St. John river would traditionally harvest fiddleheads as a spring tonic. It was a plant that was very commonly used amongst the tribe. Fiddleheads can also be found along the west coast of British Columbia and into the territories. In terms of Indigenous use, groups such as Nlaka'pamux, Lower Lillooet, Nishga, Gitksan, Wet'suwet'en, Carrier and Chilcotin would often consume fiddleheads, mainly because they were located in areas that were optimal for fiddlehead growth. (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991, #33) To further elaborate on First Nations historical use, an article written by Patrick Von Aderkas about the economic history of fiddleheads states that within North America, the Abenaki [First Nations] from New England and Quebec commonly consumed ostrich ferns when European colonists arrived and that they preferred to eat the entire crown. They would prepare the crown by roasting it over a bed of hot stones that would be covered with branches. Traditionally, the crown also served as the base of a spring tonic. (Von Aderkas, 1984)
Outside of Canada, fiddleheads can be found in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and also across Asia and Europe. The diagram above is a map of where fiddleheads can be located, taken from Von Aderkas’ article.
Harvest, preparation and consumption
Fiddleheads need to be tightly curled up to be harvested. As a result, there is a very short harvest window - usually not lasting any longer than two or three weeks. Prime harvest season can vary, depending on where exactly the growth is located but that 2-3 week window occurs sometime between the end of April and early June. Since the harvest window is so short, fiddleheads are not mass-produced like cash crops such as corn or wheat. At harvest time, the vegetable measures about 5 centimetres long and 2.5 centimetres in diameter so they are fairly small. Typically once the leaves grow past 7 or 8 centimetres, they become too bitter to be consumed. (Small & Kelley, 2013)
The actual harvesting process takes place by simply cutting the fiddleheads at the base or the crown more specifically. The crown is usually made of 6-8 fronds and, in theory, only about half of that number would be harvested in order to maintain sustainability. (Fuller, 2019) As mentioned, fiddleheads have a very small production window since they must be harvested before the fronds are able to reach maturity. In saying that, the stem can be consumed but it is best that they are harvested when the fern is still tightly coiled and there is more bud. Otherwise, they turn very bitter very quickly.
For preparation, fiddleheads should not be eaten raw. There are no known toxins that are directly affiliated with fiddleheads but there have been cases suggesting that fiddleheads should be fully cooked before eating. An article from the University of Maine states that an investigation took place by Health Canada and the CDC for several foodborne illness outbreaks that were tied to the consumption of raw or lightly cooked fiddleheads. Symptoms included diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and headaches and lasted between 12 hours and three days. (Fuller, 2018)Toxins and nutrients
A Indigenous peoples are well known for how they process plants to remove toxins and after removing the toxins, they can be consumed safely and outside of prime harvest time. Popular techniques for fiddleheads included heating, boiling, steaming and fermenting. Techniques for modern use have not changed a great deal compared to traditional techniques. The stems are removed as well as any excess leaves that protected the plant during growth. It is recommended that they are washed, soaked, strained and blanched or boiled for 10-15 minutes to ensure toxins and any residue of toxins is completely removed. After this process is completed, consumers are safe to cook fiddleheads in any way they wish.
The Indigenous Peoples got a large part of their nutrients from the game that they hunted. As a result, fiddleheads were a source of nutrients that were not obtained from game such as fibre, vitamin C and energy-rich carbohydrates. Fiddleheads are also high in potassium, iron, antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids. The table below shows the results from a study that focussed on the nutrient composition of fiddleheads.
By comparing these statistics with those from other vegetables such as beet greens, spinach and broccoli, the study concluded that fiddleheads contain almost twice the amount of protein as beets or spinach and are also very high in fibre, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin C and several minerals. It also compares favourably with the other vegetables in terms of fat and moisture content. Fiddleheads are low in vitamin A. (Bushway et al, 1982) Another study by DeLong and Robert found that fiddleheads are comparable to blueberries in terms of content such as omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Furthermore, their study of a 100g wet sample concluded that fiddleheads have high levels of phosphorus, iron, magnesium, zinc and calcium and that they are low in salt. (DeLong & Prang, 2008, #14)
Conclusion
To summarize, fiddleheads are the young, curled up leaves of ostrich ferns. They are scientifically referred to as Matteuccia struthiopteris. They are grown throughout Canada but are more common along waterways in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Fiddleheads are harvested soon after they emerge from the ground so that they do not have time to mature or uncurl. As a result, there is a very short period of time in which fiddleheads can be harvested and consumed fresh. No toxins are directly affiliated with fiddleheads but it is recommended that they are boiled or steamed before consumption. As a vegetable, they are a popular source of nutrients such as fibre, antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids.
References
1.Bushway, A. A., Wilson, A. M., McGann, D. F., & Bushway, R. J. (1982). The Nutrient Composition of Fresh Fiddlehead Greens. Journal of Food Science. Retrieved November 24, 2021, from https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1982.tb10147.x
2.DeLong, J., & Prang, R. (2008). Fiddlehead Fronds: Nutrient Rich Delicacy. Horticulture Science News, 8(1), 12-14. Google Scholar. Retrieved November 24, 2021, from https://www.actahort.org/chronica/pdf/ch4801.pdf#page=12
3.Fuller, D. (2018). Bulletin #4198, Facts on Fiddleheads - Cooperative Extension Publications. University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Retrieved November 24, 2021, from https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/4198e/
4.Kuhnlein, H. V., & Turner, N. J. (1991). Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples (Vol. 8). Gordon And Breach Publishers. http://www.fao.org/3/ai215e/ai215e.pdf
5.Small, E., & Kelley, K. (2013, April 23). Fiddleheads. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 24, 2021, from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fiddleheads
6.Von Aderkas, P. (1984, Volume 38). Economic History of Ostrich Fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris, The Edible Fiddlehead. Economic Botany. Retrieved November 24, 2021, from https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF02904412.pdf