The canned fiddleheads and dandelions can be mail-ordered-but not this year. ”All of the fiddleheads canned this spring are already spoken for and our first crop of dandelions are also sold out ...

That’s when Wells shut the canning machines down in favor of selling only fresh fiddleheads, ending a tradition that his great-grandfather started more than 100 years ago.

Fiddleheads in particular require exact cooking methods — boiling for at least 15 minutes or steaming for 10 to12 minutes. Recommendations on canning methods and equipment are best reviewed ...

WILTON -- An army of fiddlehead pickers has spread across central Maine early each morning for the past few weeks. They scour streams and riverbanks and fill onion sacks with the tiny curlicue ...

The season is short and fiddleheads are fragile. To serve fresh, use within five days of picking. After a short storage period they turn black and lose their delicate favor.

Add fiddleheads and sauté for 1 minute. Add cream and horseradish, bring to a boil and boil for 4 minutes or until cream has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste and scatter with chives.