Food Safety Measures For Fiddleheads

[Guest guest]

AJ

 

Thanks for the extra information. Personally, I do not think fiddleheads

tastegood until well cooked. I use color as a guide. They start off as " plant

green " and turn into a sort of pale olive green

 

GB

Food Safety Measures For Fiddleheads

 

here is what i found.

Food Safety Measures For Fiddleheads

OTTAWA, May 26, 2005 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is reminding

consumers that fresh fiddleheads must be properly cooked before being

consumed.

 

Fiddleheads are the curled, edible shoots of the ostrich fern; they are

collected in the wild and sold as a seasonal vegetable in stores or

outdoor markets. There have been a few reported cases of illnesses in

Canada connected with eating fiddleheads. Although no proven cause for this

hazard has yet been identified, the Agency believes that the most

likely cause is an unidentified natural toxin present in the fiddleheads.

 

The Agency is recommending that fresh fiddleheads be washed in several

changes of cold water and cooked in boiling water for 15 minutes or

steamed for 10 to 12 minutes until tender. Water used for boiling or

steaming fiddleheads should be discarded as it may contain the toxin.

Fiddleheads should also be boiled or steamed prior to sauteing, frying or

baking.

 

Symptoms usually begin 30 minutes to 12 hours after eating raw or

undercooked fiddleheads, and may include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting,

abdominal cramps and headaches. Illness generally lasts less than 24 hours.

This can result in dehydration, particularly among the elderly and in

infants.

 

Anyone experiencing these symptoms after consuming fiddleheads should

immediately seek medical attention for the correct diagnoses and proper

treatment, as well as contacting the local public health unit.

 

 

 

 

 

Gurubandhu

 

If you cannot see God in all,

You cannot see God at all.

 

Yogi Bhajan

 

 

 

Everyone is raving about the all-new Mail Beta.