Asparagus

In Season
May-June

Storage Tips
Store up to two weeks

Keep asparagus in a plastic bag in your fridge for up to four days.  To extend shelf-life, refrigerate stalks (tips up) in a cup of shallow water for up to two weeks.

For longer storage, blanch for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, cool immediately, drain, and freeze (Ziploc freezer bags work well if you'd like to avoid cutting the spears!).

Culinary Tips

Trim woody ends from asparagus spears.

Asparagus can be steamed, grilled, broiled, sautéed, or roasted.

Asparagus should be cooked quickly to a slightly crisp texture. To gauge doneness, poke a stalk with a knife and you should feel a little resistance. Do not overcook as the texture will quickly turn mushy. 

One cooking method is to stand the asparagus in three inches of boiling water, cover and cook for 8 minutes or until the tips are tender. This method cooks the thicker 
bottom stalk while steaming the more tender tips.

You can cook the spears as they are, or peel the skin with a peeler for more tender results.

Recipes
Root 5 Farm Asparagus and Arugula Risotto
Roasted Asparagus and Scallion Salad
Asparagus Pesto!
Asparagus Tart
Chicken soup with Asparagus, Peas, Dill
Spring Pea & Asparagus Pasta
Grilled Balsamic Asparagus
Prosciutto and Asparagus Eggs Benedict
Salmon Asparagus Watercress Salad
Baked Asparagus Fries
Asparagus Ribbon Salad