My Alaska Life

Fiddle ferns are a nutritious, edible wild plant growing in Alaska. They are picked in the Spring when they first come up. You pick the little shoots just as they come out of the ground when they are just 2 to 5 inches tall and while they are still tightly curled and crisp. They snap right off when you pick them. Make sure to leave a few so that the plant will survive. Once they open up the ferns are no longer edible. You will notice that the fiddle ferns have a lot of brown on them that has to be cleaned off before you use them. Just run your fingers up and down along the stem and the brown will flake right off. I sauteed them with onions and other veggies and added them to the Fettuccine I made tonight.