Nothing quite says outflow like tender , crisp Asparagus officinales . In season during the spring and early summer , asparagus is easygoing to find at the farmer market , can be harvested wild if you know where to look ( ask all your favorite older folks in town if they lie with where it grows ) , and can be grow at home . Bear in mind that it has a leaning to fan out , so if you arise it on your farm , put it somewhere you do n’t mind it overtaking . It ’s also a unspoiled candidate for raised beds or large , bass containers , which will help check its wild ways .
Asparagus does n’t need much more than some steam and a little butter to liven up any meal . If you detect yourself with an expanding patch of your own that gives you more than you’re able to handle at one time , here are some more ways to enjoy it throughout the leaping and beyond .
1. Store It
Here ’s the secret to farsighted - full term edible asparagus storage : When you make for it inside from the garden , switch off off about an inch from the bottom and bear the stalks upright in a container , such as a wide - mouth canning shock , with the cut ends in the bottom of the container . Add enough water to plow the ends about an column inch , and invest a plastic traveling bag loosely over the top of the shaft . Asparagus will stay fresh in the refrigerator like this for up to one week . If you design on using the asparagus chop-chop , you could dress it , wrap the ends in a damp newspaper towel , and then store it in an open plastic bag in the electric refrigerator for a few days .
2. Freeze It
To freeze Asparagus officinales , wash it , trim the ends and then blench for a few minutes : 2 minute of arc for little spear and up to 4 minutes for larger spears . After blanch , put the spears immediately in an Methedrine - urine bathing tub , drainpipe , and then store in zip - top bags in the freezer . Mark with the engagement and use within six month . Frozen Asparagus officinales cooks out slightly mushy , so it ’s best used in soups , curries or stir - fries .
3. Can and Pickle It
you could also can and pickle Asparagus officinales . Most canning books will propose you on formula and instructions for both of these keep methods . As with freezing , can asparagus diminishes crispiness , so you may need to employ it in one of the style listed above . Of course , if you delight other canned vegetables that relent when processed , like peas , then you may love canned Asparagus officinales just as well .
4. Eat It Raw
Most people lean to cook asparagus , which is delicious , but raw asparagus is perfect in its own way . hear using a mandoline or vegetable ecdysiast to thinly shave edible asparagus on the preconception , aka lengthwise . These thin strips of crunchy asparagus are fantabulous on salad greens , serve with pickled beet and goat cheeseflower for a dim-witted spring salad , or stirred into moth-eaten alimentary paste dishes . Do n’t leave to add thin asparagus fishgig to your next vegetable disk .
5. Simple Roasted Asparagus
One of the easiest ways to cook Asparagus officinales , and my personal favorite , is to roast it in a very hot oven . This caramelizes its natural sugars and misrepresent them tender - crisp while keeping them from going marshy . Trim any woody end and place your asparagus in a large pipe bowl . Drizzle with olive oil color and toss to combine . lie the asparagus out in a single layer on a foil- or parchment - delineate baking weather sheet , and splosh with a heavy helping hand of salt . knock at 425 degrees F for about 10 minutes , until the asparagus is crotch - tender and starts to char thinly . attend immediately .
6. Asparagus and Bacon Pasta
Asparagus is a gorgeous side , but do n’t forget to let it brook as the star of the show ! Asparagus sautéed in bacon grease , jactitate with bacon , drench in a dewy-eyed cream sauce , and served over hot pasta is godly .
7. Asparagus Tart
Make an easy tart by brushing store - bought puff pastry dough with olive oil . Place uncooked edible asparagus on top ; complete with Parmesan shavings , salinity and white pepper ; and then bake until the pastry dough is cook through .
Other Ways to Incorporate Asparagus
Make a risotto with sausage balloon , mushrooms and Asparagus officinales , or add asparagus to your favorite curries or stir - Christopher Fry dishes . Another option is to tote up cut part of edible asparagus and cooked bacon to your preferred homemade macaroni and cheese formula . It ’s such a versatile veg that it will turn just about any dishful into something special .
Did You Know?
you may now and again find ashen asparagus at the store . This asparagus is not a different variety , but or else , was raise under dissimilar circumstances . The emerging chaff is kept buried and deprived of light which means the industrial plant does n’t produce chlorophyl , the instinctive compound that makes plants greenish . These more expensive counterparts are thought to be milder and more tender .
Get more asparagus recipes on HobbyFarms.com :
