Which fern is edible? Does it have useful properties, and how to cook such a product at home? You will find answers to all these questions in the materials of this article.
Edible Fern: Species
In the world there are approximately 10 thousand different types of ferns. Such plants can be found anywhere, including in marshy places and even deserts. But most often they grow in the forest zone.
The various habitats of ferns directly contributed to their diversity. They can vary significantly not only in external shape and size, but also in internal structure, as well as in chemical and physiological characteristics.
What edible fern do you know? The most popular plant that is used to prepare various dishes is bracken. Also used as food osmund Asian and ostrich.
Features and collection of plants
To make the edible fern tasty and tender after cooking, its shoots are harvested at a young age until they become stiff.
The harvesting season for such plants is early spring, when leaves begin to bloom on the trees and lush grass appears. Edible fern should be used immediately for preparing various dishes or processed to such a semi-finished product that will be stored for a long time. Three types of plants are classified as semi-finished products: frozen fern, salted and dried. The first option is the simplest and most common among housewives. However, on an industrial scale, it is not used.
Spread
Now you know which fern is edible. Where does this plant grow? Orlyak, Asian Osmunda and ostrich are widespread throughout the globe, except for the steppes, Arctic regions and deserts.
In Russia, such plants can be found in the European part, in the Far East, in Siberia and the Urals. They also grow in Europe, Asia and North America.
Edible bracken fern, Asian osmunda and ostrich are very common in forest zones, on open hills and in thickets of bushes.
Useful properties and composition
What is remarkable edible fern? The beneficial properties of this product are known to few. Moreover, most housewives do not even suspect that the plant in question can be eaten.
According to experts, the rhizomes of such a product contain starch, saponins, alkaloids, bracken-tannic and hydrocyanic acids, as well as essential oils, fat, flavonoids and tannins. As for young shoots, they are very rich in tocopherol, vitamins, riboflavin, nicotinic acid and carotene.
Of the trace elements mentioned plants well accumulate iodine, calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, sodium, copper, sulfur, nickel and phosphorus.
The proteins contained in the edible fern are very close in their properties to the proteins of grain crops. They are also easily absorbed by the human body.
Since ancient times, such a plant has been consumed by residents of the Far East, as well as citizens of Japan and Korea. They believe that this product favorably affects their growth, helps the formation of a strong skeleton and metabolism. In addition, lovers of this plant claim that it has a good effect on the activity of the nervous system, improves the general condition of the endocrine system, increases efficiency and removes radionuclides from the body.
What else is edible fern useful for, the photo of which is presented in this article? For medical purposes, this product has been used for a long time. Inside, not only young shoots of fern are used, but also its rhizomes. For example, a decoction from the roots of this plant is actively taken for diseases of the intestines and spleen. In addition, it effectively helps with joint aches, jaundice, diarrhea, chest and headache, as well as with noise in the ears and head, dry pleurisy.
A decoction made of edible fern is often used as a diuretic, laxative, anthelmintic, and painkiller. This plant also relieves stress and stimulates metabolism.
Outwardly, a decoction of the rhizomes of the product in question is used for eczema, wounds, abscesses and scrofula. As for the infusion, it can be used for rheumatism (in the form of baths) and ulcers.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that all of these types of ferns are edible, they should be included in your diet with extreme caution. This is due to the fact that an adult plant can be very poisonous. It may contain bitter cyanide glycosides, tannins, hydrocyanic acid and carcinogenic compounds. The concentration of these substances increases gradually, as the plant develops and grows.
It should also be noted that it is strictly forbidden to eat fern during pregnancy and during breastfeeding.
An overdose of this product can lead to vomiting, convulsions, nausea, lowering blood pressure, headache, respiratory depression, dizziness, weakening of the heart, and even death.
Cooking Application
Edible fern is actively used in cooking. Various salads are often prepared from young leaves. In addition, a kind of "snail" is fried, boiled, salted and pickled for the winter, and also used as a special seasoning for meat.
The most popular edible fern among cooks is the common bracken. It got its unusual name due to its similarity to the wing of a bird of prey.
Such a plant is quite common throughout Russia, and it is not difficult to find it.
Young shoots, which are used to prepare various dishes, are formed in May. At first, they resemble a kind of “snail”, and in the process of development they unfold and become like a hook.
The petiole of an edible leaf is called rachis. To taste, it is very similar to porcini mushrooms. Raw rachis is poisonous, therefore it is necessary to subject them to heat treatment.
Edible fern: how to cook?
As mentioned above, a fresh plant cannot be stored. This is due to the fact that it hardens very quickly, as a result of which it is simply impossible to eat. Therefore, freshly harvested fern shoots should be salted immediately or boiled in salted water and then dried.
If you decide to use the last cooking option, then fresh leaves must be washed thoroughly and put in a pot with boiling salt water. In this form, the plant should be cooked for no more than 5 minutes. After that, you need to throw it into a colander and shake it strongly.
As for salting, this process is carried out as follows: fresh and thoroughly washed greens are placed in an enameled container, sprinkled with ordinary table salt (at the rate of 250 g of spices per 1 kg of plant), closed with a wooden lid, smaller in diameter, and then pressed with oppression. In this case, the weight of the latter must necessarily be equal to the weight of the product used. In this form, salted greens are left for 7-8 days.
After the brine begins to cover the wooden lid, it is slowly drained. Together with him, all the bitterness inherent in young shoots will also go away.
The product thus prepared can be stewed. It is first fried along with onions, and then poured with fresh sour cream and cooked in this form for several minutes. A cooked stew is served with greens and fried tomatoes.
Also, salted fern can be deep-fried, after dipping it in pancake dough.
If none of the presented methods suits you, then the salty product can simply be chopped and added to salads, pizza, soup, and more.
Interesting fact
In Slavic mythology, fern flowers have always been endowed with magical properties, although these plants do not bloom. On the night of Ivan Kupala, couples in love are actively looking for this mythical flower, believing that it will surely bring them eternal happiness (according to legend, such a flower blooms only for a moment).