Cooking Asparagus Made Easy

Asparagus is a favorite vegetable of many people. But cooking asparagus can be tricky -- overcooking by just a few minutes can lead to a mushy disaster.

So let's review asparagus, from selection to cleaning to cooking and flavoring.

Asparagus is a delicate vegetable. It's season lasts just 2 short months (starting mid-April), which is when asparagus is at its most tender and delectable.

If you're interested in cooking asparagus that's organic, it will be the least expensive during this time. But since asparagus is NOT one of the top 4 pesticide-laden veggies that should be purchased organic, it's okay to buy non-organic asparagus if you're in a pinch.

Asparagus is one of the few veggies that really don't need a lot to make them delicious. In fact, sometimes just a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil is all you need to flavor your asparagus to perfection.

How To Select Asparagus

The best-tasting asparagus ranges from very thin stalks to very fat. Pass on the large stalks if you can, and gravitate towards the medium-sized and smaller. Be sure to look for the same telltale signs that indicate whether the asparagus is fresh...

Most asparagus is green (although there are also white and purple varieties). So when selecting your asparagus, look for those with a rich green color. The famous "woodiness" of asparagus is caused when the veggie has aged and the sugars in the plant have converted to starch.

Next, you want fresh and juicy asparagus, so look to the bottom where the asparagus has been cut. If you see ridges in the stems or the cut area is very dry, then put them down and keep on moving. You also want to be sure your asparagus has a snap to it, so "just say no" to limpy, wimpy asparagus.

Finally, be sure the tips are tight and the spears are straight and proud. Plus, all should be approximately the same thickness so they cook in the same amount of time.

If not using immediately, store your asparagus standing up in a glass or pitcher with a VERY SMALL amount of water. Alternatively, wet a paper towel and wrap around the cut ends of the asparagus, place in a plastic bag and seal tightly. Your asparagus should keep for up to 2 days (but, of course, it won't last that long before you devour it, right?). ;O)

How To Clean and Prep Asparagus

But you do not absolutely have to. Gently rubbing the stalks while holding under running water should be sufficient, turning the spears upside down to get in between the tips too.

Tender, thin spears are usually edible from top to bottom -- simply trim the cut ends.

Thicker stalks need to be prepped just a bit before cooking by breaking off the ends at the point where the asparagus gets tough.

To find this sweet spot, hold the cut end in one hand and the middle of the spear in the other.

Bend until it snaps.

Discard the cut end.

Before cooking asparagus, you can cut the spears into small pieces, if desired. Many times asparagus is left whole though, depending on the finished dish and the presentation you're after. There is generally no need to peel asparagus.

Cooking Asparagus

Asparagus Vegan Flavor Matches

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