Most of you are wondering, ‘What the heck is a fiddlehead?’.. they are ferns- that you eat! I have only encountered them in New England, where Fiddlehead Season is a thing.. for a brief period, you can buy them fresh in the store, and I usually do- but now, I can also pick my own! Today, I did!

In this area, fiddleheads are the baby, curled fronds of ostrich fern. They have a concave inside stem and a papery covering. They can be found in damp areas in woods. They MUST be steamed or parboiled before eaten. They are kind of spinachy-asparagusy in taste.

As with any foraging, make sure you know what to look for, and only take one or two from each plant so it can thrive! I just pinch each fiddlehead off with my thumbnail.