All About Asparagus

Asparagus is a spring vegetable coming into season in Ontario.

From the Ontario Asparagus website (http://asparagus.on.ca/consumers/):

[Asparagus] is a member of the Lily family that includes onions, garlic, leeks, turnips and gladioli. There are three different colours of asparagus:

• GREEN asparagus has color because of a process called ‘photosynthesis.’ This is a process where plants use sunlight to produce chlorophyll, which gives them their green colour.
• WHITE asparagus is actually just green asparagus but the farmer mounds soil on top of the spears so they never see sunlight! So it does not perform ‘photosynthesis’ and therefore has no colour!
• PURPLE asparagus is simply a variety of green asparagus that has a gene that makes it purple, even though it still uses photosynthesis (i.e. produces chlorophyll). It is sweeter than green asparagus.

Asparagus has only 4 calories per spear and is very low in sodium. It is a good source of Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fibre, protein, beta-carotene, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium.

Best eaten fresh, asparagus can be refrigerated for two or three days. Wrap stem ends in damp paper towels, then cover the bunch with plastic wrap or stand straight up in a jug of water.

Asparagus can be prepared many different ways. Here are some simple methods for cooking it. We will be posting more delicious recipes throughout the month of May.

How to Steam Asparagus

1. Fill a pot with ¾ inch of water (2.0 cm) and bring it to a boil. 
2. Place an open fan steamer in the bottom of the pot and lay the stalks in it. 
3. Cover and steam for about 5 minutes, checking occasionally as you may need to turn the heat down. 
4. After 5 minutes, check that the spears have been cooked to taste using a fork to test tenderness.

How to Blanch Asparagus

Blanching (scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short time) is needed before freezing vegetables and also before drying them.

1. Rinse the asparagus spears and cut or snap the woody ends off.
2. Have a large bowl of iced water ready.
3. Fill a pot with water- It is important that when the asparagus is immersed in the boiling water it comes back to boil within one minute. So if you are using a large pot you will probably need about 1 litre or 4 cups of water boiling ¼ pound of asparagus (about 6-8 spears).
4. Bring the water to the boil.
5. With the heat still on high, immerse the asparagus in the boiling water so that it comes back to the boil as quickly as possible. Boil for 2- 4 minutes depending on the thickness of the stalks. (2 minutes for thin, 3 for medium, 4 for fat).
6. Remove from the water and dunk straight away in the iced water. You need to stop the cooking process as quickly as possible to preserve the asparagus’ texture.

To freeze: When the blanched asparagus spears are cold dry on kitchen paper and pack in airtight freezer containers or freezer bags. Freeze immediately.

How to Roast Asparagus

1. Rinse and snap or slice off bottom of asparagus spears. 
2. Lay them out on foil or dish, drizzling olive oil and rolling the spears to ensure that they are all covered in a thin layer of oil. Sprinkle the spears with salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Place the dish in a preheated oven at 400F, 200C. 
4. Cook the asparagus in the oven for approximately 8 – 10 minutes; this does depend on how thick the spears are. They should be lightly browned and nicely tender when done. 
5. Check with a fork to ensure that they are cooked to your taste. Remove and serve.

How to Grill Asparagus

1. Roll the spears in a little olive oil so that they are evenly covered and place them at an angle on the metal bars of the grill so that they do not drop down between the bars. Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper to taste.
2. Depending on the heat of your grill and the thickness of the spears, you need to check them after two or three minutes. If they are grilling nicely, then roll them over gently.
3. After another couple of minutes, check that they are cooked to your desired tenderness by using a fork or sharp knife. Remove from the grill and serve with drizzled oil or lemon.
4. Skewering option: soak wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes then thread the asparagus sideways. You should end up with 10-15 spears on 2 skewers (top and bottom) in a rectangular shape. Now you can handle them easily for brushing with olive oil, turning etc. This works best with thicker spears.