Bracken
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the young, tightly coiled tender tips of plant are called 'fiddleheads'.
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the spring fiddleheads of all varieties of north temperate ferns are edible.
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remove hair/wool from fiddleheads, soak in salt water to remove bitterness.
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fiddleheads are best when boiled for half an hour in two changes of water.
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fiddleheads can be dried for storage.
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rhizomes can be roasted/pit-steamed, peeled, and pounded to remove whitish edible part from fibers, or chewed to suck out starch.
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dried rhizomes can be ground into flour.
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grows in wide range of areas, including foothills and montane region.
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warning: avoid long term use, has carcinogenic properties.
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warning: avoid mature bracken, which destroys vitamin B and can cause a deadly blood condition.