Asparagus
Asparagus has been with us for a long time. Its centre of genetic diversity is Southern Poland and Southern Russia where it has lived with horses for a long time. Like grass asparagus will regenerate if cropped. Early Roman and Greek writings indicate that it was as popular 2,500 years ago as it is today. Its closest relative is the Lilly. The variety Mary Washington has been around for a long time for home gardeners and is still available in catalogues and nurseries Strains of New Jersey Giant were popular in the last half of the last century. Lucullus grows all of its stalks at once so is better for Europeans style white asparagus. My favourite all round asparagus is Centennial but it was recently replaced by Millennium, one of the new all male lines. Asparagus plants are either male or female. Modern breeders think that getting rid of the females makes the males work harder.An Israeli asparagus farmer was shocked to hear that we eat asparagus. He grew it as a fern for the Dutch flower trade.
Cultivation
Asparagus is a 2 meter tall feathery leafed perennial plant. It makes a beautiful backdrop for showy flowers like grandiflora roses. During the summer the plant stores energy in its long thick roots. When the springtime temperatures rise above 55o F. the plant sends up stalks. These grow 2 or 3 inches per day in cool weather and 7 or 8 inches in warm weather. The stalks are cut off just above or just below the ground when they reach 10 inches tall. Bundles are stacked on a grading table and the bottoms are cut off flat at 9 inches then placed on a wet pad. As the stalks emerge from the ground they are exposed to sunlight and turn purple-green as the chlorophyl is activated. Chlorophyl has a slightly bitter taste which North American like and Europeans don't. Europeans mound the asparagus beds with mulch or soil and cut the stalks before they emerge; the stalks remain white. The stalk has 'gone to seed' and will be too tough to eat when you can see between the first bract and the stem and the tip is no longer pointed. Asparagus plants last for 12 to 20 years. A mature plant is made up of about 12 stalks. Each time a stalk is removed another takes its place. The plant will keep sending up stalks until its energy reserves are exhausted. Most growers cut every stalk that shows for five or six weeks in the spring. Occasionally a few stalks will get away from me and these are allowed to grow to full size. The asparagus beetle prefers these and leave the prime ones alone. The beetle makes the tip look dappled or frayed but the effect is only cosmetic. It lays its small black eggs in a straight line down the stalk. These do not wash off but a knife scraped gently down the stem will dislodge the eggs. Cutworms will some time wrap themselves around a stalk at the surface and begin to chew. The hole elongates as the plant continues to grow. They can't eat much and it is usually the part I don't want anyway.
Asparagus prefers loose well drained soil and is usually started from one or two year old roots. They are spread out in a twelve inch deep trench lined with compost. The first light harvest starts two years later. It does not like much competition for the first few years but after that will outgrow most other plants. It needs little maintenance and little fertilizer. I leave the dried stalks standing to catch the snow in the winter and turn them under the soil in the early spring. The old stalks are very tough and will interfere with the harvest.
Healthy asparagus plants will produce thick stalks early in the season. They become thinner with each successive cutting. Stalks thinner than a pencil indicate that the plant is near the end of its energy reserve and needs to be allowed to grow to full plants.
The bottom part of the stalk will be tough and the top part is tender. To separate the parts grasp the top and bottom and bend slowly until it snaps. The fresher it is the crisper the snap. The tip is tender the but end is tough. Fresh asparagus has a shiny surface and is rigidly erect. Stale asparagus has a dull surface and wobbles like half cooked spaghetti. Fresh asparagus will keep for a couple of weeks if refrigerated to about 4oC. Unrefrigerated asparagus will deteriorate within a day. If it smells, looks glassy or is slimy it is bad and should be discarded. Some people cut the bottom of their asparagus off and then stand them in an inch of water in the refrigerator. They remain crisp much longer that way but loose some flavour.
Fresh organic asparagus can be eaten raw. When cooking, less is better. It can be boiled, steamed, sauteed or barbequed. My favourite is to bring a small amount of water to a boil, add the tender parts of the asparagus, cover for three minutes, drain and serve. Cold cooked asparagus is wonderful for picnics and in salads. After boiling the stalks for three minutes they are drained and rinsed in cold water to stop the cooking and then refrigerated. Cold asparagus makes wonderful sandwiches. Wrap in bread, tortilla, or pita with Swiss cheese, ham, and maple mustard.
The most common way to cook asparagus is to steam for five to ten minutes depending on the thickness of the stalks. There are special steamers for asparagus to keep the stalks upright with the thick bases in the water. Another way to serve is to saute in butter or olive oil for five to ten minutes for the last half of cooking add three tablespoons of flavoured vinegar and reduce. To barbeque cover the stalks in oil and flavoured vinegar. Place on the upper rack of a heated barbeque, close the lid for five minutes. Turn and cook for another three to five minutes.
Cheese and herb sauces are good with hot asparagus. Cold asparagus is good with cream sauces and mayonnaise. Walnuts and pecans compliment hot asparagus
The tough ends of asparagus are good for soups and stews but need to be chopped finely or cooked and blended before adding. The fibers are long and stringy.
Pasta with Asparagus and Green Onions Serves 2-3 ( Mary Ellen Cummings)
1 ½ pounds of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 bunch of green onions, roughly chopped
A handful of basil, roughly chopped
4 cups of pasta (fusilli or penne work well)
1 Tablespoon of butter
1Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup good quality chicken stock
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine butter and oil in a
large skillet over medium-high heat and cook basil and green onion for one minute. Add stock and asparagus, salt and
pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover, and cook about 7 minutes or until asparagus is softened
but still fairly crisp. Drain pasta, and fold into skillet with asparagus and stir until pasta absorbs some of the sauce and
finishes cooking, about 2 minutes. Check seasoning. Serve in warmed bowls, and top with parmesan.
Romesco Sauce which is heaven on asparagus.
It's predominantly grilled red peppers, almonds, and a hint of garlic, thickened with bread crumbs, and light on the olive oil. You put it, cold, on steamed asparagus or grilled vegetables. (John McMurchey)
( Helen Mills) -just added the raw asparagus to my salad - dressed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and tamari
Asparagus I usually eat raw or just steam. (Linda Doran)
Asparagus and Red Potato Salad (Linda Doran)
(From the Barbara SchIifer Commemorative cookbook. I don't always have red potatoes and just use what I have on hand)
prep time: 15 minutes (over two days but I would just do it all at once and lose out on the extra flavour of marinating the potatoes in the dressing overnight)
cooking time: 25 minutes
serves: 6
2 lb small red potatoes, unpeeled
1 c vegetable oil (olive if you have/can afford it)
¼ c red wine vinegar
¼ c finely chopped red onion
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste
12 stalks asparagus (or ½ lb green beans)
2 eggs, hard-boiled and quartered.
Cook potatoes until just tender. Drain. Combine the dressing ingredients & whisk well. Pour over the potatoes while still warm and toss lightly. Refrigerate overnight, covered.
Canning
The best way to preserve asparagus is to pickle it. Its flavour is milder than cooked asparagus so do not use strongly flavoured vinegar.
Pickled asparagus
for each pound of cut asparagus (cut to jar length 6 inches (15cm) for 1 liter jars, 5 inches for 750ml jars)- 20lb. of 9" asparagus is about13 to 15lb. of 6" cut asparagus and 10 to 12lb of 5" cut asparagus -1lb. of cut asparagus make 1 liter jar.
2 cup of white vinegar
1 tsp. pickling salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp pickling spices:
include mustard, black peppers, dried pepper, bay leaf, dill, and/or garlic (remove before canning),
wash and rinse jars, place on their sides in a 235oF oven
heat to hard boil a large volume of water for blanching
Wash and drain asparagus
prepare vinegar: mix salt, vinegar, pickling spices and sugar in a pot, bring to a boil, reduce temperature and simmer for 20 minutes.
Blanch asparagus 3 or 4 minutes,
Drain pot of hot water, run cold water over the asparagus to stop cooking.
When asparagus is cold drain and dry
start a pot of water boiling for lids.
assemble utensils; 1 square of paper towel twisted, long handles tongs, canning funnel, stainless steel ladle, lids and rings
return vinegar to a boil
sterilize utensils in boiling lid water
prepare a heat resistant surface for hot jars
use tongs to remove a jar from the oven
lay jar on its side and holding one end with a gloved hand insert the asparagus
place the funnel over the jar
fill the jars with hot vinegar mixture to the line inside the funnel ( ½ inch head space if no further processing, 1 inch head space for pressure canning or hot water bath)
remove the funnel and wipe the rim with the paper towel dipped in boiling lid water
use the tongs to fish out one lid and ring set, place over the jar tighten finger tight if further processing, tighten tight-tight if not processing.
- further processing ensures food safety- either 15 minutes in a pressure canner at 10lb. pressure or 20 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Let stand for 24 hours
If any fail to seal, refrigerate and eat first
wash the jars, dry and label
store away from light and heat for a couple of months or until you have forgotten the taste of fresh asparagus.
Canned asparagus
Blanch for 3 minutes, Pack in jars on their side. Fill jars with boiling water. Process in pressure cooker for 40 minutes at 10lb. pressure