I have never foraged for fiddleheads on my own, but I know several people who do. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension has created a video to help correctly identify the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris). For now, I’m enjoying the batch of pickled fiddleheads my uncle gave me, but next spring I think I will try foraging for them myself.
These pickles are sour, spicy, and flavored with garlic. I have yet to find a recipe that sounds as though it would produce similar results, but if my uncle shares his recipe, with permission to publish, you may be able to find it here eventually…
Here are a few fiddlehead recipes that sound pretty good:
