Has anyone ever had fiddlehead ferns? Since they are available for such a limited time in the spring, I have always bought more than I was planning to eat and preparing them to freeze. I would clean them, par-boil them and put them in freezer bags and take them out to cook as I wanted them. Each year, this process has worked fine, until this year...

When I froze them this year, they turned black in the freezing process so I ended up tossing them all. Since they are still available for a week or so, I wanted to try it again, but didn't know if there was a better process that anyone was aware of...

suggestions?

I Don't know if this is the same way you do it already but this was told to me by a friend.

1. Wash the fiddleheads in several changes of cold water. Drain. 2. Fill a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a hard boil. 3. Place the fiddleheads in the boiling water (using a wire basket is more convenient). Return water to boil for 3 to 4 minutes. 4. Drain and immediately plunge the fiddleheads into very cold water, to cool them. 5. Place fiddleheads in freezer bags, add ice cold water to cover. Squeeze gently to eliminate air bubbles. 6. Seal the freezer bags or containers and place them in the freezer. Try to keep at least one inch between the bags to facilitate quicker freezing.

Hi Lydia!

Fiddleheads

Thanks Esencia and Tree - that's pretty much how I prepared them to freeze (with the exception of the ice cold water after they were put in the bags) - I did submerse them in cold water until they were cooled. This is exactly the way I'd done them in the past, but this time they turned black.....

I think maybe I will try again...and hope that doesn't happen - because they are just SO good!!!!!

Well Fiddle-lee-dee I never heard of such a thing! You Yankees sure do eat wierd things. Why here in the South ferns are found hanging from our front porches! We'd never think of eating them. We eat Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, and Turnip Greens for our chlorophyll!

I just realized that I forgot to post the web address from which I got my answer. It happened to be the same as Tree's. So sorry.

when all has failed:

sheet freeze them in one layer, covered. Repackage in quantity when frozen.

Does the pot or a change in the water ph or min content make a difference? Aluminum pot versus non-reactive? Hard vs softwater?

Acidic water and over cooking do change green vegs to olive drab. Freezing, at times, continues the discoloration.

Fiddeldelicious.


Tiny green violin necks. Linked occaisionally to illness if undercooked. Never had a problem. Never froze them either. Tend to eat things only in season.

Are they great frozen like English peas?

ps Did you ever eat the fiddleheads Pizza Bianca (white pizza)? Yumacious.


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