Tis the season for enjoying the New Brunswick delicacy of fiddelheads.
It’s Fiddlehead season! Get the inside scoop on finding these little gems! https://t.co/Awod3zmYIw #Fredericton pic.twitter.com/1k1O1WwKti
— Fredericton Tourism (@FredTourism) May 19, 2016
However, acting chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell is reminding people to properly wash and prepare them.
She adds there have been cases of people getting food poisoning after eating raw or undercooked fiddleheads.
Dr. Russell says they should be boiled for 15 minutes, or steamed for 10 – 12 to ensure they are safe to consume.
She says there have been no cases of illness reported as long as fiddleheads are prepared properly.
It is not recommended to preserve fiddleheads at home with a pressure canner, because safe process times haven’t been established yet.
More information about how to safely enjoy fiddleheads is available online, or by calling the local health protection branch office.
People who believe that they may have become ill as a result of eating fiddleheads should seek the advice of a health-care professional and contact their local health protection branch office.
