Gearing up for fiddlehead season

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
FIDDLEHEADS — Gerald Jackins of Houlton is known as the “fiddlehead warden” for southern Aroostook County for his many years spent picking the edible ferns. The recent stretch of cold weather has hampered the growth of fiddleheads in many parts of The County.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — For many, fiddleheads are a spring delicacy like no other. The tasty green fern can be found growing abundantly along riverbanks and in many fields, usually by mid-April through May.
    But this year, because of the cold evenings, fiddlehead season is off to a slow start, according to Gerald Jackins, and he should know. After all, the Houlton native has been picking the early spring fern in Maine for nearly 70 years.
    “The nights have been just so cold,” Jackins said. “We actually had a little bit of frost this past Sunday morning, so we had to pick around it. You have to check them because frost can turn them black and you can’t eat those.”
    Known in the southern Aroostook area as the “fiddlehead warden,” Jackins was first introduced to the fern at the age of 10 when a neighbor that lived on Highland Avenue in Houlton took him down to the Meduxnekeag River and showed him where to pick.
    The fiddlehead will be celebrated May 22 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Watson Hall during the 29th annual Public Fiddlehead Supper. Included on the menu is ham, potato salad, and of course fiddleheads, including a quiche made with the fern.
    “The quiche is quite popular,” Jackins said. “We actually sell whole quiches for people so they can take them home.”
    The meal typically draws about 200 people, requiring at least 80 pounds of the fern.
    Because of the cold nights, picking fiddleheads has been more difficult this spring, Jackins said. The recent rain helped tremendously, but what is needed now is warmer temperatures.
    “I went to five places last week, and we only got about a pound,” he said. “In the places where I usually get all kinds of them, I only got a handful. I’ll have to buy some from others for the meal. Hopefully we will have enough this year.”
    The frustrating part, he added, is that he knows where the ferns are growing from his many years of experience, but he now has to wait for them to pop up.
    “You can see them there in the ground, but you can’t break them off because they haven’t come up enough yet,” he said.
    According to the University of Maine’s Cooperative Extension, fiddleheads “are the young coiled leaves of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris). Nearly all ferns have fiddleheads, but those of the ostrich fern are unlike any other. Ostrich fern fiddleheads, which are about an inch in diameter, can be identified by the brown papery scale-like covering on the uncoiled fern, as well as the smooth fern stem, and the deep ”U”-shaped groove on the inside of the fern stem. Look for ostrich ferns emerging in clusters of about three to twelve fiddleheads each on the banks of rivers, streams, and brooks in April and May.”
    The time to harvest the tender of the ostrich fern is as soon as they are an inch or two above the ground. To prepare fiddleheads, one must first brush off and remove the papery brown scales. Jackins has a tried and true system of placing his fiddleheads in a wire-bottomed basket and then sticking them over a fan to blow the papery scales off.
    To cook the fiddleheads, the Cooperative Extension suggests bringing a small amount of lightly salted water to a boil, add washed fiddleheads, and cook them at a steady boil for 10 minutes. Fiddleheads can also be washed clean and steamed for 20 minutes. Serve at once with melted butter or vinegar. The sooner they are eaten, the more delicate their flavor. They may be served, like asparagus, on toast. Cooked, chilled fiddleheads can be also served as a salad with an onion and vinegar dressing.
    Due to the short season for fiddleheads, some people prefer to preserve fiddleheads for later use. According to the Cooperative Extension, to freeze fiddleheads, they must first be cleaned them as you would for the table. Blanch a small amount at a time for two minutes in four to six cups of water. Cool and drain in cold water or in an ice water bath (half water and half ice). Pack into moisture- and vapor-proof containers and freeze. Thaw and boil for 10 minutes before serving.
    While there are numerous recipes for serving fiddleheads, Jackins said he prefers the simplest method.
    “For me, there is nothing tastier than fiddleheads with just plain old butter,” he said. “A lot of people put vinegar on them, but I don’t. Just butter and some salt. It doesn’t get any better than that.”