Be cautious when eating fiddleheads

Residents should remain cognisant of the importance of properly cooking fresh fiddleheads before eating them, according to the Sudbury and District Health Unit.

Fiddleheads, the curled, edible shoots of the ostrich fern, are often eaten at this time of year as a seasonal vegetable.

There have been some cases of temporary illness in Canada linked with eating raw or undercooked fiddleheads. The cause of the illnesses has not yet been determined, but may be the result of an unidentified natural toxin present in the fiddlehead.

Symptoms of illness typically appear 30 minutes to 12 hours after eating raw or undercooked fiddleheads and may include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and headache. Illness generally lasts less than 24 hours but may last up to three days.

Individuals who believe that they may have become ill as a result of eating fiddleheads may need to seek advice from a health-care professional.

The following precautions should be taken when preparing fiddleheads:

- never eat raw fiddleheads;
- prior to cooking fiddleheads, remove as much of the brown, papery husk as possible;
- thoroughly wash fiddleheads prior to cooking;
- thoroughly cook fiddleheads by boiling them for 15 minutes or by steaming them for 10 to 12 minutes;
- discard water used for boiling or steaming fiddleheads

Health Canada states that there have been no reported cases of illness associated with eating fully cooked fiddleheads.

Visit Health Canada’s website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca for additional information on food safety measures for fiddleheads.

Posted by Darren MacDonald