[NatureNS] fiddleheads as food

From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 11:50:50 -0300
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Hi Jane,

On 15-May-10, at 11:30 AM, david&jane schlosberg wrote:

> A friend of mine, who has been eating fiddleheads for years,  
> recently bought some and tried a new recipe involving marinating-- 
> but NOT cooking--them.  Both she and her husband were quite ill  
> afterwards.  Do any of you know anything about what might have  
> contributed to their distress?  Of course, it might simply have been  
> contaminating bacteria that got on them from the handling, but could  
> there be something in them that gets destroyed during cooking?

Fiddlehead contain significant amounts of phenolic compounds. In  
addition to the various carotenoids, this gives them significant anti- 
oxidant properties (twice that of blueberries). However, its been my  
understanding that these levels of phenols are high enough that they  
can also be problematic for digestion. When I was doing research on  
these many years ago it was recommended to me that fiddlehead always  
be boiled (at least for a short time) since phenols are water soluble  
and quickly leach out of the plant tissues (the dark colour that water  
becomes after boiling fiddleheads for a short time). For that reason  
they should never be simply stir-fried, or marinated without having  
parboiled them first to remove the phenols.

Cheers,

Chris


Christopher Majka
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 2G5
c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca

Is it progress if a cannibal uses a fork? - Stanislaw Lec




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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Jane,<div><br><div><div>On =
15-May-10, at 11:30 AM, david&amp;jane schlosberg wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"> <div =
style=3D"WORD-WRAP: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space"> <div><span =
class=3D"875171914-15052010"><font color=3D"#0000ff" size=3D"2" =
face=3D"Arial">A friend of mine, who has been eating fiddleheads for =
years, recently bought some and tried a new recipe involving =
marinating--but NOT cooking--them.&nbsp; Both she and her husband were =
quite ill afterwards.&nbsp; Do any of you know anything about what might =
have contributed to their distress?&nbsp; Of course, it might simply =
have been contaminating bacteria that got on them from the handling, =
but&nbsp;could there&nbsp;be something in them that gets destroyed =
during =
cooking?</font></span></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Fiddleh=
ead contain significant amounts of phenolic compounds. In addition to =
the various carotenoids, this gives them significant anti-oxidant =
properties (twice that of blueberries). However, its been my =
understanding that these levels of phenols are high enough that they can =
also be problematic for digestion. When I was doing research on these =
many years ago it was recommended to me that fiddlehead always be boiled =
(at least for a short time) since phenols are water soluble and quickly =
leach out of the plant tissues (the dark colour that water becomes after =
boiling fiddleheads for a short time). For that reason they should never =
be simply stir-fried, or marinated without having parboiled them first =
to remove the =
phenols.&nbsp;</div></div><br></div><div>Cheers,</div><div><br></div><div>=
Chris</div><br><br><div apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: =
rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; =
font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; =
letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: =
auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; =
widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: =
break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: =
after-white-space; "><div><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 14px; "><div>Christopher Majka</div><div>Halifax, =
Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 2G5</div><div><a =
href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a></div><=
div><br></div><div><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: =
medium; "><i>Is it progress if a cannibal uses a =
fork?</i>&nbsp;-&nbsp;Stanislaw =
Lec&nbsp;</span></div></span></div><div><br></div></div></span><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br></body></html>=

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