UMaine Extension offers facts on Maine foods for May

ORONO — University of Maine Cooperative Extension offers information and workshops to help consumers find, grow, use, preserve, and store in-season fruits and vegetables in Maine. Seasonal favorites for May include: Facts on Fiddleheads, Facts on Edible Wild Greens in Maine, Fruits for Health: Rhubarb, and Spring Refrigerator Pickles.

UMaine Extension educator Kathy Savoie demonstrates new techniques for cooking, freezing and pickling fiddleheads in an easy-to-follow video. Fiddleheads in particular require exact cooking methods — boiling for at least 15 minutes or steaming for 10–12 minutes to reduce risk for foodborne illness associated with raw and undercooked fiddleheads. 

Get ready for the arrival of Maine’s seasonal foods by attending an upcoming food preservation workshop or sign up for the Spoonful Blog to receive bite-sized food and nutrition information.

Bulletins are available for download or to order on the Extension publications website. More information also is available by contacting 207-581-3188, 800-287-0274 (in Maine), or extension@maine.edu.