Freezing is your best bet if you have a surplus of asparagus that you want to preserve. Instead of protecting this desirable vegetable, which might result in a mushy product, you’ll obtain a better outcome this way.
When asparagus is in a season where you live, utilize locally grown asparagus for the most outstanding results. Imported out-of-season asparagus from foreign nations is sometimes less soft and flavorless. Because thicker spears keep up better in the freezer, choose spears that are at least the thickness of a pencil.
Before freezing asparagus, you must first blanch it. This process guard against fading and maintains a superior texture.
How to Freeze Asparagus?
Getting the Asparagus Ready
Holding each spear at either end, bend it until it snaps before blanching the asparagus. Throw away or compost the brittle bottom ends (peel and save to make asparagus soup). The tip ends can be chopped into 1- to 2-inch pieces or left as spears.
You can steam asparagus or blanch it in boiling water. When the vegetables are finished with the blanching process, have a large bowl of ice-cold water ready to place them in (this stops them from continuing to cook from residual heat).
Asparagus Blanching: Boiling Water Technique
Bring water in a big pot to a boil. One pound of asparagus at a time or more can be added to the boiling water. Depending on the thickness of the spears, let the asparagus blanch for 2 to 5 minutes.
After the allotted time has passed, immediately drain the asparagus and place it in the cold water. Give it the same time in the ice-cold water as you did in the boiling water. Utilizing a colander, drain the asparagus.
Asparagus Blanching: Steam Method
Boil the water in the pan underneath the steaming basket. Asparagus should be placed in the basket and covered. Depending on the thickness of the spears, steam for 3 to 6 minutes.
After the allotted time has passed, immediately place the asparagus spears or pieces in the cool water. The amount of time you steamed them should give when they are in the cold water—colander a well-drained area.
Two Techniques for Freezing Blanched Asparagus
The simplest method is to put the spears or pieces of blanched, cold, and drained asparagus in freezer bags or containers, label them with the date and freeze.
Flash-freeze the asparagus spears or pieces if you want them to stay separate and not cling together so you can pull out only what you need. Arrange the blanched asparagus on baking sheets in a single layer before flash freezing. Transfer to freezer bags or containers after freezing for one to two hours.
Alternative
Depending on how you intend to cook the dried asparagus later, cut each piece into 1- to 2-inch lengths. Consider cutting the spears on a diagonal if you want to get fancy. After putting the asparagus in freezer bags, date-mark them, and these delicate vegetables should not be packed too tightly in carry-on luggage. Please keep them in a single layer to ensure that the pieces freeze promptly and stay fresh for up to 8 months.
How to Use Frozen Asparagus?
Take the frozen asparagus out of the freezer when prepared to use it. If you’re using the asparagus in a casserole or other hot dish, you can add it to the word frozen, and you may bake it from frozen as well.
Before using it, let it warm to room temperature if you use it in a cold dish. It is advisable to include frozen asparagus in meals rather than serving it as the main component.
Although you can’t use it to make a fresh shaved asparagus salad, you may add it to soups and casseroles, mix it with pasta, or bake it with Parmesan cheese.
The uses for frozen asparagus are varied and delectable. For illustration:
- Cook it. The asparagus should be tossed in olive oil, grilled, and then seasoned to taste. Try one of Our Best Grilled Asparagus Recipes if you’re seeking delectable ideas.
- Stir-fry it in there. You can stir-fry asparagus by itself or add it to your preferred stir-fried rice recipe in 1-inch slices.
- Add it to soups, quiches, or casseroles. Throw some frozen asparagus in a stew, quiche, or soup if it needs more color.
How Long can Frozen Asparagus be Kept?
To track how long the bags of asparagus have been in the freezer, it is always a good idea to mark them.
Asparagus keeps exceptionally well for at least two to three months if frozen in airtight bags. If it is even slightly exposed to the air, it will immediately develop freezer burn. For the freshest results, it is advisable to use the frozen asparagus within six months. It will still be good for up to a year, but you will notice a clear drop.
You’ll be grateful for this simple freezer solution when your kitchen is bursting with excellent asparagus. Trim asparagus in the cold is always welcome!
Should Frozen Asparagus be Thawed?
No, frozen asparagus doesn’t need to be thawed. Thawed asparagus may produce anything resembling a puddle. Asparagus doesn’t need to be melted. It’s OK to cook asparagus from frozen nine out of ten times; gnawing the vegetable can make it lose its crunch. If you have to defrost frozen asparagus, put it in the fridge overnight or use the microwave’s defrost mode.
Instead, add frozen asparagus to whatever recipe you are preparing. The asparagus will be gently warmed back up so that it is crisp-tender and ready to eat by the temperature of the hot dish or by the baking time if you are cooking something like a quiche or tart.
What are the Health Benefits of Asparagus?
Suitable Antioxidant Source
Compounds known as antioxidants work to shield your cells from the damaging effects of free radicals and oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress plays a role in cancer, chronic inflammation, aging, and many other disorders. Like other green veggies, asparagus has a lot of antioxidants. These include flavonoids and polyphenols, vitamin E, vitamin C, and glutathione.
The flavonoids kaempferol, isorhamnetin, and quercetin are especially abundant in asparagus. Numerous human, test-tube, and animal research have revealed that these compounds have blood pressure-lowering, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer activities.
Additionally, the brilliant color of purple asparagus results from the presence of potent pigments called anthocyanins, which also have antioxidant properties.
Increasing anthocyanin intake has been demonstrated to lower blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks and heart disease.
A variety of antioxidants can be given to your body by eating asparagus and other fruits and vegetables to support optimum health.
Enhances Digestive Health
A healthy digestive system depends on dietary fiber. The amount of fiber in only half a cup of asparagus, or 1.8 grams, provides 7% of your daily requirements.
According to studies, eating a diet rich in fiber-rich fruits and vegetables may help lower the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Asparagus is rich in insoluble fiber, which gives stool volume and encourages regular bowel motions. Additionally, it has a small quantity of soluble fiber, which, when combined with water, creates a gel in the digestive system. Friendly intestinal microorganisms like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus are fed by soluble fiber.
Increasing the population of these helpful bacteria helps the body produce vitamins B12 and K2 and strengthens the immune system.
Consuming asparagus as part of a diet high in fiber is a great approach to help satisfy your fiber needs and maintain a healthy digestive tract.
How to Choose Quality Asparagus?
The asparagus season typically lasts from early March until mid-June. You’re most likely to find locally or regionally sourced asparagus during this time (the best). Please take advantage of the season while it lasts because it will pass quickly.
As with most vegetables, asparagus quickly loses moisture, flavor, antioxidants, and phytonutrients once picked. They have the highest natural sugar (flavor) content when freshly collected. For this reason, it should be prepared the same day (or the day following) it is bought, cooked in season, and sourced locally.
A solid, straight stalk with firmly closed spears and smooth, colored (not woody or white) ends what you want to look for. Avoid spears that are soft, damaged, or dry and brittle. Check those first because they often tend to be in better condition if a produce display has bunches in a little puddle of water.
Asparagus stalk thickness relates to the age or gender of the plant rather than quality or maturity. Depending on the thickness of the stem, I often prepare asparagus differently for basic cooking.
Name Some Different Types of Asparagus
- Several asparagus kinds range in color from dark green to deep purple, though they can be difficult to find outside neighborhood farmer’s markets.
- Although there are several forms of asparagus, green asparagus is the most widely accessible. Grab any green asparagus you find that has stalks that are a dark purple color (see image below). They are lovely and most likely locally farmed in your neighborhood.
- Purple asparagus has a milder flavor than green asparagus but has three times as many antioxidants.
- Choose raw preparations or a fast sear on the grill because they lose their dark purple tint when exposed to high heat or water.
- White asparagus (not a different kind or species) is harvested when the spears start to emerge from the ground, or it can be farmed by covering it with mounds of soil. They don’t make chlorophyll since they aren’t exposed to sunshine. White asparagus is less nutritious and has a milder flavor. They are often used in French and European cooking.
How to Cook Asparagus?
While steamed asparagus has more antioxidants than raw asparagus, my preferred method for cooking asparagus is tossing the stalks with olive oil and salt and grilling or roasting in a hot oven (425°-450°F /20°-230°C).
- Slice or chop the bias into 1- to 2-inch pieces if the stalks are thin and delicate. When fork-tender, sauté in a wok or skillet with heated oil over medium-high heat.
- The best cooking methods for thick asparagus include grilling (which gives it a longer cooking time and reduces the chance that it will fall through the grill grates), steaming or blanching, making asparagus soup, or shredding it into ribbons and eating it raw in dishes like this shaved vegetable salad.
- Asparagus and goat cheese quiche, for example, shows how to maintain the asparagus’ brilliant green color by a brief blanch in boiling water followed by an ice bath.
How to Store Asparagus?
The ends of the asparagus stalks should be wrapped in a moist kitchen towel, placed in a perforated bag or a Ziplock bag, and kept in the produce drawer of your refrigerator after any rubber bands have been removed. Alternatively, you can arrange the asparagus stalks like flowers by placing them spear-side up in a wide-mouthed jar with one inch of water.
After acquiring asparagus, use it within a day or two. The stalks shouldn’t be washed or rinsed until right before use. Use a knife to trim the spears’ ends or gently bend the spears to snap off any stubborn ends. (If fibrous, you may also use a vegetable peeler to remove the ends of the stalks.)
Asparagus rapidly loses its natural sugars and nutrients once it is plucked. As time passes, the asparagus stalk ends to develop a rough, fibrous texture, and this calls for further trimming and waste (i.e., cost per pound). When the asparagus was gathered can be determined by looking for wrinkled and hard stalks (likely not recently).
Only purchase asparagus that is in season and locally cultivated. Although they are more expensive, the quality, freshness, and flavor are unmatched.
Conclusion
There are a few ways to store asparagus for later. First, blanch the asparagus to retain the texture and color. You can also try Stir-frying it or adding it to quiches and casseroles. Once blanched, transfer to a freezer-friendly container and freeze for an hour or two. Asparagus can then be used in many different ways!
