Is Fern Edible?

Highly poisonous and slightly poisonous ferns - difficult to distinguish

Who would like to voluntarily take the risk of poisoning? So you shouldn't fern eat. Many specieswho are at home in this country are highly toxic. And the few of them who are mildly poisonous may find it difficult to tell you apart from the others.

Since ferns develop neither flowers nor fruits, but can mainly be recognized by their fronds, it can be difficult to identify a highly poisonous one bracken to be distinguished from a less poisonous ostrich fern. Even experts can usually only reliably distinguish ferns from one another based on the colors and arrangement of the spore capsules. But not always Spurs available…

Fern tips - delicacies?

In some parts of the world the tips apply to some Fern species as a delicacy. They are popular in Canada, parts of the USA, Korea, Japan and New Zealand, among others. It is the young and not yet unrolled leaves that are used in the kitchen. In America they are known as 'fiddleheads' and are even commercially available as a popular spring vegetable.

Ostrich fern and cinnamon fern are edible

Ostrich fern and cinnamon fern are considered food:

• Indian tribes were already making drinks from it
• after colonization, the tips were roasted, deep-fried or steamed
• Now available frozen or pickled all year round in America
• Taste: Mixture of asparagus and spinach

Collecting and preparing the fern tips

The young, tender and still curled fronds are collected. Then they are carefully washed, freed from the brown husk and then cooked. They can be scalded, steamed, fried or deep-fried. The bitter aftertaste disappears during the cooking process. The fern tips are often served with butter and salt.

Tips & Tricks

If you want to try fern tips, it would be better not to harvest them yourself. The likelihood of confusion is too high! It is better to buy the fern tips on the Internet, for example, or to taste them in a restaurant on a vacation in America.