Ferns

[Leenstar]

Anyone know a specific variety of ferns that can be harvested for fiddleheads?

I have some that were given to me and are simply known as ferns. They don't seem to make a tight compact fiddlehead like I have seen for eating.

Anyone have any knowledge, advice, sources?

[steev]

I've no idea; keep us posted.

[Drahkk]

I researched these a few years ago when I had the bed inside my fence empty, before I decided to put asparagus there. The ones I considered getting were called ostrich ferns. They're not the only ones; most tree ferns have edible fiddleheads. Just make sure you cook them. In their raw state they contain an irritating, potentially carcinogenic acid whose name I can't seem to remember right now.

MB

[ferdzy]

Matteuccia struthiopterus, osterich fern it is. They are quite distinctive.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matteuccia_struthiopteris

There is someone here in Ontario who farms them commercially...

seasonalontariofood.blogspot.ca/2010/05/visit-to-nor-cliff-farms.html

[caledonian]

Samuel Thayer strongly suggests that cinnamon and interrupted ferns are mildly toxic, and recommends ostrich, bracken, and lady ferns for fiddleheads.

foragersharvest.com/fern-fiddleheads-the-succulent-stalks-of-spring/

[atash]

Your best bets outside the tropics are deciduous ferns, the reason being that fern tissues that are tough enough to withstand winter are too tough to make good eating.

That leaves Ostrich Ferns, Lady Ferns, and Bracken as the common and widespread candidates. Bracken is mildly carcinogenic unprocessed, but it is by far the most commonly eaten fern worldwide, being abundant. Outright bracken poisoning rare but it might contribute to stomach cancer in Japan. In China the toxin is usually leached out. It is also very sensitive to pH and easily destroyed in acidic or alkaline environments.

Ostrich Ferns also extremely popular in China. There are several dozen ferns commonly eaten in China, but Bracken and Ostrich by far the most common. I would guess of American native ferns, Ostrich probably the best eating.

I wonder about some of the hardier Osmundas.

The ne plus ultra of vegetable ferns is probably Diplazium esculentum, a widespread fern in tropical Asia. It has a few hardy relations but I doubt they are palatable. It's one of the few ferns consumed past the fiddlehead state, though even then only young fronds eaten. I don't think Leenstar could grow it but I bet Drahkk could.

[Drahkk]

If it's a true tropical I'd probably need to keep it potted rather than letting it fill a bed as I'd like to do. Our winters are kinda unpredictable; the past two years have been so mild I could have overwintered peas as easily as the turnips and mustards, but the one before that got cold enough long enough to kill all the citrus trees that I hadn't realized so many people were growing. Even in the warmer years tropicals would have to come in, though. We get lots of nights in the low 30s. What's rare is for it to stay below freezing long enough to hurt the insect population (or long enough for snow to accumulate).

Still, thanks for the info! I'll keep it in mind if I ever get around to building more beds inside the back fence like I keep saying I'm going to. If I did plant them in ground, do you think a heavy mulch and maybe a makeshift row cover would be enough to protect them?

MB

[atash]

Drahkk, they're capable of being freeze-backs. It's a widespread fern and it occurs in both the deep tropics and into subtropical regions like northern India and Nepal, where short overnight radiations frosts are common. I suspect the duration of the cold is key. I suspect a mulch would indeed help. I suggest not investing a huge area in them, but experimenting on an expendable scale.

I see zone 7b. You must be north of the Gulf. Probably a better bet for along the Gulf. It's apparently naturalized in Florida, and someone reported them growing like weeds in Houston.

[Drahkk]

I goofed on that. The map (planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/) now says 8a for my zip code, with the 8b line just a few miles west of me on the other side of the river. As far as latitude though, I'm in central Mississippi. Being in the delta just a few miles from the river keeps it somewhat more temperate, but not as much as living by the Gulf would do.

If I experiment with them, I'll probably start with a 4'x8' raised bed like my asparagus is in. Got to convince the family that they're good to eat before I grow large quantities, anyway.

MB

[Drahkk]

Apparently they did a full redraw on the zone map last year. A lot of people are discovering they're in a warmer zone than they used to be.

MB

[richardw]

Most of the wild fern varieties that grow in damp shady areas of New Zealand’s native bush are carcinogenic - of 312 different varieties, only seven varieties are edible. The edible fern fronds of Pikopiko also known as bush asparagus, are pale green with brown speckles. Picked before the leaves unfold, the fronds add a unique 'forest' flavour to dishes.

www.google.co.nz/search?q=piko+piko+fern&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=e2SYUYL3HcPdkAWX3oCoCA&ved=0CC0QsAQ&biw=1525&bih=668

[Deleted]

I'm not skilled at identifying ferns, yet, but they will grow next to a leaky faucet in zone 9.

I even knew someone who had to cover her desert sand with topsoil. Ferns will grow under shade trees within view of wild cacti and Joshua trees.

[jondear]

Fiddleheads are one of my favorite vegetables. They are quite specific about where they want to grow. Shadey, moist soil is important. The locals forage around rivers and streams every spring. I have a few "secret" spots where I go and get a few 5 gallon buckets full.

The head is picked just as it emerges from the ground, here in my area about mothers day. AFAIK you would have to live somewhere where all top growth dies back from cold.

[hortusbrambonii]

Reading this thread last year made me interested in trying fiddleheads (a concept unknown to me, who but a dinosaur would think of eating ferns?), and then it's very very convenient that the plant that has been occupying a dark corner of my mothers garden for is the Ostrich fern! Not usual for me to have that kind of luck...

Tomorrow I'll try them, anyone who has tips on how they are best served?

[mjc]

Boil 'em, drizzle on some butter, add a little dill...enjoy.