Research scientists say fiddleheads are so nutritious, they should be grown on farms. (CBC)Research scientists say fiddleheads are so nutritious, they should be grown on farms. (CBC)

Research scientists in Nova Scotia say fiddleheads should be cultivated commercially because of their high nutritional value.

The ferns grow in the wild along wet riverbanks and streams in the spring, and are considered a delicacy in New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario.

John DeLong, with the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Kentville, said scientists are just discovering how nutritional fiddleheads are — even better than blueberries, the gold standard for antioxidants.

"When we tested the activity, we found that they were twice as strong as blueberries with regard to this antioxidant activity. We didn't expect that, that was very surprising to us," DeLong said Wednesday.

Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals linked to the development of a number of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and other age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's.

Test results also showed that fiddleheads are packed with another nutrient, omega-3 fatty acids, DeLong said.

"They have a unique fatty acid that plants don't normally have, which is only found in fish," he said.

This nutritional science is laying the groundwork to develop the plant into a possible niche crop that could be farmed

"You can grow them as a cash crop, so I think enterprising farmers out there should think about that. Maybe an acre of fiddleheads could be a viable crop for them," DeLong said.

His colleague, Bob Prang, also a research scientist with Agriculture Canada, said as people recognize the health value of fiddleheads, farming makes more sense because increased demand could put pressure on ferns in the wild.

"The problem with all natural crops is that people just go take what they want and they don't put anything back into it. That is a fear on my part, that some of these stands that will be over picked," Prang said.

But, only ostrich ferns produce edible fiddleheads and proper cleaning and cooking is a must. Fiddleheads are best boiled for about 10 minutes.