Fiddlehead season arrived late this year due to the unseasonably cold weather and high water but that wasn’t going to stop me. On a cold, wet and windy Saturday morning I headed out to my favorite spot to see what the crop was like this year. I drove as far as I could to my destination but I knew I would have to make the rest of the way on foot. I knew exactly where to go and before long I spotted what looked like a nice patch of green and so I headed that way.
A wise picker always arrives early to get the best selection but a quick look around the area told me I wasn’t alone. The folks ahead of me were taking their sweet time but I was patient - I let them know I was there but kept my distance and waited until they had moved on. I am very choosy when it comes to picking fiddleheads and I like to search out the big ones.
A wise picker always arrives early to get the best selection but a quick look around the area told me I wasn’t alone. The folks ahead of me were taking their sweet time but I was patient - I let them know I was there but kept my distance and waited until they had moved on. I am very choosy when it comes to picking fiddleheads and I like to search out the big ones.
I was pleased to see that the others were observing proper picking etiquette which dictates that you take only what you need, move on and leave some for the next guy. I’ll admit the crop looked a little picked over, but that just meant I had to dig a little deeper and search a little harder for the good ones… I knew it would be worth the effort.
I’ll admit it was cold on the hands but that is just the price you have to pay. The fiddleheads were wet as if they had just been soaked and it was quite chilly and my fingers were growing numb; for a minute I wondered if it was worth all the bother. But fiddleheads are such a rare treat that I pressed on, proud of myself for upholding such a proud and hearty New Brunswick tradition.
Some other early risers had spotted me and were looking eager to share in the bounty so after filling my bag to the top I was ready to move on. My wet, aching fingers reminded me that I had parked quite a long way off so I decided to call it a day and head for home while my treasures were still fresh. I got a twist tie to secure my load, placed the plastic bag into my shopping cart and quickly made my way to the Express Checkout line. And that was when I wondered again if it was worth the cost – $4.99 a pound can really add up! Good thing I only picked a half a pound...
Maybe next year I’ll be more adventurous, avoid the crowd at Sobeys and do my picking the old fashioned way, down closer to the river - at the Victory Meat Market. Maybe I’ll see you there…
3 comments:
hahahaha..you had me right up until the twist tie !!!!
Jacqui
You had me much longer than the twist tie ... I got a little confused and wondering at the shopping cart, but was totally clued in by the express checkout line ... I was SO impressed with the thought of you out there picking in the frigid water!!! Well done once again! Hope you enjoyed the fiddleheads :)
You had me too until the checkout line. I even wondered how and why you took a shopping cart to the river - duh! I am a sucker for a good story.
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