Quick and Easy Asparagus

How To Choose the Best Asparagus

The best asparagus is fresh. To tell if asparagus is fresh, look for stalks that are a rich, deep green color that get lighter toward the end of the stalk. The stalks should be firm to the touch. Pass by any stalks that are limp or dry with cracked ends. The tips of the asparagus should be tightly closed and the stalks should be uniform for even cooking.

Tips for Cleaning Asparagus

It’s always important to clean fresh produce before preparing it. Asparagus can have grit in its tips, so the first thing you should do is rinse it under cold water. Then you can prepare asparagus for cooking.

Remove the tough end from the rest of the stalk by either cutting or snapping it off. If using a knife, cut 1/2 inch to 1 inch off the bottom, depending on where the green fades into white. If you're snapping the tough end off, bend the thicker end of the stalk to see where it snaps naturally.

Or, you can cut off about a quarter-inch of the bottom of the stalk and peel a thin layer of skin off the lower half of the stalk with a vegetable peeler. The asparagus is now ready for your recipe.

What Does "Blanching" Mean?

Blanching is a cooking technique that partially cooks food. It’s commonly used with vegetables like asparagus. Vegetables are put in a pot of boiling water for a very short time, usually under 5 minutes, and then plunged into a bowl of ice water to quickly stop them from continuing to cook. Blanching makes the outside of a vegetable tender while the inside remains fairly crisp. It also helps keep color bright.

You can blanch asparagus when you want to serve it immediately, or you can blanch it before freezing it. Most fresh vegetables benefit from blanching before freezing because the process stops enzymes that would otherwise cause the vegetable to lose flavor, color, and texture over time while frozen.

Try These Great Recipes That Use Asparagus

• Asparagus Salad with Shrimp
• Steamed Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce
• Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta
• Asparagus with Lime and Mint
• Asparagus and Ricotta Bruschetta