WARNING: Do not handle raw stinging nettles with your bare hands. Use gloves. After nettles are cooked, the stinging agent is dissolved and they are safe to handle and eat.
Storage:
Fiddleheads: Store fiddleheads in a plastic bag in your refrigerator or blanch and freeze for long term storage (How to Freeze Better at Home). Nettles: Store fresh nettles wrapped in paper towels within a plastic bag in the refrigerator. For long term storage, nettles can be dried for later use in tea or frozen (pre-cooked like spinach). Miner's Lettuce: Place miner's lettuce in a plastic bag (optionally with holes punched in it) and keep it in your refrigerator's crisper drawer. Shelf Life:
Fiddleheads: Up to two days fresh, several months frozen. Nettles: Up to four days fresh, eight months frozen. Miner's Lettuce: Three to seven days.
Fiddlehead Ferns have a delicious green-veggie flavor, tasting something like a cross between an artichoke and asparagus. They’re great steamed or sautéed, and are delicious paired with wild mushrooms. For an easy but exciting condiment, whisk a little lemon juice into mayonnaise (to make it extra special, use this homemade mayonnaise recipe) for a zesty, creamy sauce.
Miner’s Lettuce delicious wild salad green that tastes something like a lighter version of spinach. It pairs extremely well with vinaigrette dressings (how to make vinaigrette).
Stinging Nettles have a spinach/mint/green flavor. They are consumed in some parts of Europe in soup, and are part of the culinary traditions of parts of Asia as well as Sweden and some Native American tribes. They should be blanched first for a few minutes to remove the stinging agent, but can then be steamed, sautéed, or otherwise cooked as your dish requires. They are great in ravioli filling, and can be steeped in hot water to make a highly nutritious tea.
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