Green and white asparagus, buying tips and more
May is an early month to enjoy agricultural harvests here in the Great White North, but we do get to enjoy a few local specialties in much of Canada. Asparagus tops my list, followed closely by wild leeks and fiddleheads and, one of my favourites, dandelion greens. Asparagus is an easy favourite and no imported asparagus tastes anywhere as good as freshly picked, local asparagus.
Green and white asparagus
You'll find green, of course, and white asparagus at your local grocer's. White asparagus is a favourite of Europeans, especially Spaniards and French, and it's a national passion for Germans. White asparagus is simply asparagus with tender stalks that have never been allowed to see the light of day, dirt being piled up over them as they grow. These sometimes purple-tipped splendorous spears have a milder and less grassy taste than green asparagus. Its taste brings to mind a vegetable custard.
The thick and the thin
There are two main types of green asparagus: thin-stalked and thick-stalked. The thin variety, also known as pencil asparagus, is nice for sautéeing and, particularly, for stir-fries. It needn't be pre-cooked for stir-frying as in Stir-Fried Pencil Asparagus. Thin asparagus has a decidedly grassy flavour. Its thick and juicy cousin is, however, king of the Canadian asparagus world.
Choosing the best asparagus
Look for asparagus that has been recently harvested and harvested at the right time. Tightly closed tips and long stems are telltale signs of good asparagus; the stems should have hard ends that are nice and juicy and not browned. If too much stem has been cut off, then it's likely the seller has trimmed the bottom more than once.
If the tips look like flowers rather than tight buds, then it has been picked too late or sat around too long. Asparagus should be displayed with freshly cut ends standing in clean water.
Asparagus is a snap to prepare
Trim the hard end off a spear by holding it at the very bottom end and about halfway up; when you bend it, the tough end will snap off just at the inedible portion. Keep those hard ends to flavour soups and stocks with homemade soup stock.
To peel or not to peel
In my opinion, thick asparagus bound for steaming or boiling is better peeled. White asparagus must be peeled before cooking, but many people still do not peel green asparagus.
A little extra work rewards you with the finest asparagus. Use a good quality vegetable peeler to peel the stems (one which only shaves off a thin layer) and peel the spears up to or just about up to the tip. By peeling the stalk, you allow it to cook at the same time as the tender tip. For grilling, it's better to leave the stalks unpeeled.
Click to continue to asparagus recipes
Page 1 of 2
Green and white asparagus
You'll find green, of course, and white asparagus at your local grocer's. White asparagus is a favourite of Europeans, especially Spaniards and French, and it's a national passion for Germans. White asparagus is simply asparagus with tender stalks that have never been allowed to see the light of day, dirt being piled up over them as they grow. These sometimes purple-tipped splendorous spears have a milder and less grassy taste than green asparagus. Its taste brings to mind a vegetable custard.
The thick and the thin
There are two main types of green asparagus: thin-stalked and thick-stalked. The thin variety, also known as pencil asparagus, is nice for sautéeing and, particularly, for stir-fries. It needn't be pre-cooked for stir-frying as in Stir-Fried Pencil Asparagus. Thin asparagus has a decidedly grassy flavour. Its thick and juicy cousin is, however, king of the Canadian asparagus world.
Choosing the best asparagus
Look for asparagus that has been recently harvested and harvested at the right time. Tightly closed tips and long stems are telltale signs of good asparagus; the stems should have hard ends that are nice and juicy and not browned. If too much stem has been cut off, then it's likely the seller has trimmed the bottom more than once.
If the tips look like flowers rather than tight buds, then it has been picked too late or sat around too long. Asparagus should be displayed with freshly cut ends standing in clean water.
Asparagus is a snap to prepare
Trim the hard end off a spear by holding it at the very bottom end and about halfway up; when you bend it, the tough end will snap off just at the inedible portion. Keep those hard ends to flavour soups and stocks with homemade soup stock.
To peel or not to peel
In my opinion, thick asparagus bound for steaming or boiling is better peeled. White asparagus must be peeled before cooking, but many people still do not peel green asparagus.
A little extra work rewards you with the finest asparagus. Use a good quality vegetable peeler to peel the stems (one which only shaves off a thin layer) and peel the spears up to or just about up to the tip. By peeling the stalk, you allow it to cook at the same time as the tender tip. For grilling, it's better to leave the stalks unpeeled.
Click to continue to asparagus recipes
Page 1 of 2
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