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Glenda's Helpful Hits;
Asparagus
1.Spring brings a fresh crop of delectable spears of asparagus. It used
to be an expensive delicacy, reserved for royalty and rulers. Now the
cost is down, and asparagus is available to all gourmands with rich
palates. The recipe spotlight includes many different asparagus recipes
for you to try, including desserts!
Cooking:
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. Steaming should be reserved for only the youngest, most tender
asparagus.
• To blanch, fill a large pot half full of water, add one tablespoon
salt, and bring to a boil. Add asparagus and partially cover until a
second boil quickly begins, then uncover and cook for 5-8 minutes.
Remove to a towel to dry.
• To freeze, blanch by plunging into boiling water for 3-4 minutes and
remove immediately to chilled water. Drain. Pack in containers, label
and freeze for up to nine months.
• It's a good idea to tie the asparagus in bundles of 10-12 stalks for
cooking, so they can be quickly removed from the water all at once.
• Asparagus should be served warm or at room temperature as
refrigeration dulls the flavor.
• It's imperative not to overcook asparagus.
• Remember it will continue to cook a bit, even after removed from
boiling water. Asparagus readily adapts to other quick cooking methods,
such as stir-fry and sauté.
• A half pound of asparagus per person will satisfy most as a first
course or accompaniment. There are 15 to 20 medium-size stalks in a
pound. One pound of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1- to 2-inch
lengths, will measure about three cups.
Asparagus availability
Available year-round, spring is the best season for fresh asparagus.
Crops are harvested from late February to June, with April being the
prime month. The stalks shoot up from the crown of the plant and grow
into fern-like leaves when allowed to develop. However, the edible
stalks are harvested strictly by hand before the actual fern leaves
develop. It takes three years from the sowing of the seed to the harvest
of the first stalks. The plants are either male or female, with the male
producing more stalks of a smaller size, and the female producing less
stalks, but larger in size. Asparagus is one of the few vegetables that
is grown as a perennial, since the plants have about a 10-year life.
Asparagus varieties
White asparagus comes from the process of etiolation, which is the
deprivation of light. Dirt is kept mounded around the emerging stalk,
depriving it of light. The plant cannot produce chlorophyll without
light, thus there is no green color to the stalks. Asparagus comes in
the following grades: colossal, jumbo, large, standard, and small.
Varieties are interchangeable in recipes, with the only change being in
the color of the resultant dish.
• Green asparagus: Ranging from pencil-thin to very thick. Most American
asparagus is of this variety.
• White: Preferred in Europe, these sunlight-deprived stalks are a
little milder and more delicate. It is difficult to find fresh in the
United States.
• Violet or Purple: This variety is most commonly found in England and
Italy and has a very thick and substantial stalk.
"SWEET PURPLE" ASPARAGUS
This new type of asparagus has many similar characteristics to green
asparagus but offers something new for the asparagus connoisseur. The
spears produced have several qualities, which make it quite different
than common green asparagus.
1) The deep-burgundy coloration produced in these spears is the most
striking difference between the purple and green varieties. *
2) The spears are generally larger and much more tender than its green
counterpart. The vascular bundles have less lignin per spear, which make
the spears less stringy. This allows the cook to use the entire spear
with little waste.
3) Sweet Purple asparagus has a 20% higher sugar content. Because of
this extra sweetness, this vegetable is often eaten raw. Some upscale
restaurants garnish salads with purple asparagus. When cooked, the
sweetness gives this asparagus a mild, nutty flavor.
Growing tips that are unique to Sweet Purple Asparagus
This variety is more susceptible to rust than some of the green
varieties; therefore it is important to keep relative humidity within
the crop canopy to a minimum. Drip or buried drip irrigation is
recommended. Planting the rows in the direction of the prevailing winds
also reduces relative humidity.
Due to the lack of fiber in the spears, the fern tends to lie down in
the furrows. This is another reason to orient rows towards the
prevailing winds.
*Applying vinegar or lemon juice to spears prior to cooking will help to
retain the purple coloration. Otherwise, cooking this variety will
result in varying degrees of color loss.
CUTTER ASPARAGUS SEED Warrants that seeds sold have been labeled as
required under State and Federal Seed Laws and that they conform to the
label description. No liability hereunder shall be asserted unless the
buyer or user reports to the warrantor within a reasonable period after
discovery (not to exceed 30 days), any conditions that might lead to a
complaint. Our liability on this warranty is limited in amount to the
purchase price of the seeds. We also do not make any guarantees as to
off-types. This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, express or
implied, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose. Buyer may request a price quotation which includes
more extensive warranties as a basis of the bargain.
• Wild: Asparagus grows wild in some areas, particularly in Europe.
You'll most likely have to hunt down your own, as it is rarely available
fresh in markets, except in Italy and the South of France.
Is peeling necessary?
Asparagus selection and storage
Whether you prefer the thick or thin spears, be certain they are fresh.
The sugar in the plant quickly converts to starch after harvesting,
causing a loss in flavor and development of a woody texture. Select
firm, straight, smooth, rich green stalks with tightly-closed tips.
Ridges in the stems and a dull green color are an indication of old age.
The stalks should not be limp or dry at the cut. Choose stalks of
uniform thickness for more control in the cooking process.
Do not wash asparagus before storing and never soak it. Trim the ends of
fresh asparagus and stand them upright in a jar with about an inch of
water in the bottom. Cover with a plastic bag and store spears in the
refrigerator for up to two days.
To peel or not to peel?
Many chefs peel the lower stalks to avoid any woody strings, but others
insist this is not necessary with properly selected, thin, fresh
asparagus. Peeling is recommended for thicker stalks. If you feel the
need to peel, chop off the bottom inch or two of the stalk, and peel
downward from the tip.
To prepare, wash the vegetable by gently sloshing it up and down in a
sink of cool water, gently rubbing the sand from the stalks with your
fingers. Asparagus needs to be cooked quickly to a tender-crisp texture.
To gauge doneness, poke a stalk with a knife and you should feel a
little resistance.
Asparagus health watch
Ancient Chinese herbalists have used asparagus root to treat many
maladies from arthritis to infertility. The root contains compounds
called steroidal glycosides, which may have anti-inflammatory
properties. One-half cup of cooked asparagus contains significant
amounts of folic acid, vitamin C, potassium and beta-carotene. Folic
acid helps prevent birth defects, cervical cancer, colon and rectal
cancer and heart disease. Vitamin C protects against cancer and heart
disease and also helps boost the immune system. Potassium helps regulate
the electrolyte balance within cells, and helps maintain normal heart
function and blood pressure. Asparagus is a natural diuretic, and a
heart-healthy food, containing no fat, cholesterol or sodium. In 1991,
an Italian researcher reported a compound found in asparagus had shown
some antiviral activity in test tube studies.
This well-known table delicacy may be found wild on the sea-coast in the
South-west of England, especially near the Lizard, in the Isle of
Anglesea, otherwise it is a rare native. In the southern parts of Russia
and Poland the waste steppes are covered with this plant, which is there
eaten by horses and cattle as grass. It is also common in Greece, and
was formerly much esteemed as a vegetable by the Greeks and Romans. It
appears to have been cultivated in the time of Cato the Elder, 200 years
B.C., and Pliny mentions a species that grew near Ravenna, of which
three heads would weigh a pound.
Asparagus is noticed by Gerard in 1597, and in 1670 forced Asparagus was
supplied to the London market.
---Medicinal Action and Uses---The virtues of Asparagus are well known
as a diuretic and laxative; and for those of sedentary habits who suffer
from symptoms of gravel, it has been found very beneficial, as well as
in cases of dropsy. The fresh expressed juice is taken medicinally in
tablespoonful doses.
Prussian Asparagus, which is brought to some English markets, is not a
species of Asparagus at all, but consists of the spikes of Ornithogalum
pyrenaicum, which grows abundantly in hedges and pastures (especially in
the locality of Bath). See STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
Culpepper tells us 'The decoction of the roots (Asparagus) boiled in
wine, and taken is good to clear the sight, and being held in the mouth
easeth the toothache.' He also tells us it helps those sinews that 'are
shrunk by cramps and convulsions, and helpeth the sciatica
Asparagus history
A member of the lily family, asparagus, (Asparagus officinalis), comes
from the Greek word asparagos, which first appears in English print
around 1000 A.D. It cannot be definitively tracked to any one specific
area of origin, although it is known to be native to the eastern
Mediterranean and Asia Minor areas. As early as 200 BC, Cato gave
excellent growing instructions for asparagus. The ancient Egyptians
cultivated it, and Romans, from Pliny to Julius Caesar to Augustus,
prized the wild variety.
"As quick as cooking asparagus" was an old Roman saying meaning
something accomplished rapidly. Herbalist John Girard mentioned wild
asparagus in the 16th century, and it is mentioned as far back as the
17th century in French cookbooks. The asparagus growing beds in Northern
Italy were famous during the Renaissance period. These graceful spears
have always been a sign of elegance, and in times past, were a delicacy
only the wealthy could afford. Roman emperors were so fond of asparagus,
that they kept a special asparagus fleet for the purpose of fetching it.
Is white asparagus a different variety?
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