I'd always been told to cook fiddleheads to tender, rather than leaving them a bit crisp or al dente. But I learned from friends what can happen if you don't: there's something toxic in them that needs to be neutralised by cooking...if not you get a bad gut-ache etc as my friends did.
There’s a toxic problem identified by western chemists in the 1980’s - I came across it from my readers in The Scotsman - but applied to high quantities rather than time spent in the pot. Also identfied in Japanese texts historically. I’ve been eating em for years in the short season, so never noticed any problem. I’d watch out where areas are sprayed, though. Problem is carcinogenic rather than toxicity. I’ll add the chemistry shortly,
I'd always been told to cook fiddleheads to tender, rather than leaving them a bit crisp or al dente. But I learned from friends what can happen if you don't: there's something toxic in them that needs to be neutralised by cooking...if not you get a bad gut-ache etc as my friends did.
I don't know the chemistry though. Do you?
There’s a toxic problem identified by western chemists in the 1980’s - I came across it from my readers in The Scotsman - but applied to high quantities rather than time spent in the pot. Also identfied in Japanese texts historically. I’ve been eating em for years in the short season, so never noticed any problem. I’d watch out where areas are sprayed, though. Problem is carcinogenic rather than toxicity. I’ll add the chemistry shortly,
Thank-you!