As one of the tastiest and healthiest vegetables, you can find asparagus year-round in the grocery stores. However, the finest asparagus is gathered from April to June at the peak of the asparagus season. Of course, much like many other vegetables, raw asparagus is not only hard to consume but can also be bad for your health.
Luckily, there’s a myriad of ways you can prepare this vegetable and uncover its potential. For instance, you can enjoy steamed asparagus, broiled asparagus, learn how to cook asparagus in a pan, how to cook asparagus on the stove, etc.
First of all, you should know that asparagus contains a wide variety of nutrients, which, of course, are extremely important for the human body to function properly. All in all, you can expect one cup of fresh asparagus to contain:
Even more importantly, asparagus contains many different micronutrients and vitamins. These include impressive levels of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, as well as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, and various B-Vitamins. Furthermore, asparagus also contains flavonoids, and polyphenols, both of which are strong antioxidants. Eating asparagus often will help your body to manage digestion processes, boost your immunity, improve your mental health, and much more!
Place the asparagus in line and same direction on a cutting board and trim the bottom part, just where the stalks turn green. It’s rather simple to master how to cut asparagus but not knowing this trick can make the whole endeavor more challenging.
It’s rather easy to learn how to store asparagus at home as well. To keep them fresh for about 3-5 days, keep the stalks upwards in a glass jar with just an inch of water at the bottom and covered with a plastic wrap in your fridge. If the tips of the asparagus become mushy, however, that means you should throw them out.
How to Pick the Highest Quality Asparagus?
As mentioned, the season for asparagus starts in April and ends in June. During those months you should be able to purchase fresh asparagus in any medium-sized grocery market. This asparagus will be the freshest and healthiest one you can find.
Also, don’t worry if the asparagus your local store is selling isn’t green. There are many varieties of this vegetable – you can find white and even purple asparagus!
The size of the stalk indicates how much time the asparagus had to grow – the wider the better. Don’t worry though as the asparagus with extremely long and thin stalks is just as edible. Keep in mind, however, that you should take the size of the stalks into consideration when cooking asparagus. If they are very thin or thick, you should adjust the cooking time accordingly. All in all, cook until the stems are completely green in color, and the skin feels soft and rubbery.
Have you already gone shopping and bought some raw asparagus? That’s great news Now that you know how to cut asparagus and how to store asparagus at home, let us give you a quick rundown of the various methods you can prepare these incredible vegetables. Be sure to try all of them!
Boiling is, of course, the easiest and most basic method of preparing asparagus. It doesn’t require any special equipment and can be done by pretty much anyone. Even if you are a beginner, there’s no way you won’t be able to boil asparagus properly, so here we go:
Steaming is yet another basic option for cooking raw asparagus. It’s a very good option if you wish to cook your asparagus quickly, and at the same time want to try doing something a tiny bit different. No preparations or special equipment are necessary – everyone can prepare some steamed asparagus!
Let’s move on to less typical methods of preparing asparagus. Do you want to learn how to cook asparagus in a pan? How about roasting it, then? This method of preparing asparagus guarantees you a tasty and slightly crunchy result.
This method is unlike any other we have mentioned so far but it also involves mastering how to cook asparagus on the stove. Many people actually claim sautéing is their favorite method of cooking asparagus.
Learning how to cook asparagus in a pan and how to cook asparagus on the stove are not the only methods available. The last method of cooking asparagus on our list is called broiling. Broiling asparagus is actually really easy and the taste of broiled asparagus is incredible. You will, however, need a high-quality oven with a broiler.
Now, if you’re looking to try asparagus in the most delicious manner, you’re welcome to pay us a visit at Root & Bone. At our restaurant, you can relax and unwind after a long day and enjoy the delicacies that we have to offer on our menu – food, drinks, or both.
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