Asparagus
About Me: Asparagus is a perennial spring-time plant growing up to 40–60 in tall, with stout stems with much-branched, feathery foliage. Asparagus is a good source of many vitamins and minerals some of which include B6, calcium, magnesium, and zinc, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, and many more.
At Catena Farm we grow both green asparagus and purple. Purple asparagus differs from its green counterpart in having high sugar and low fibre levels. Purple asparagus will turn green when cooked.
To store: Wash asparagus and trim the ends about an inch. Place the spears in a glass jar, cut ends down. Fill the jar with about 1 inch of water. Loosely cover tips of the asparagus with a plastic bag. Store in the front of the fridge for up to 10 days.
To freeze: Blanch the asparagus first by bringing a pot of water to the boil. Pop the asparagus into the boiling water and blanch for about 3 minutes, depending on the size. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of ice water, leaving for the same amount of time that it was blanched for. Drain and leave to dry on the paper-lined tray. Once drained and patted dry, lay the asparagus on a tray and freeze until frozen solid. Transfer to a freezer bag or air tight container. You can also freeze roasted or grilled asparagus, this is my favourite way to freeze asparagus and add extra flavour to dishes. Please note that frozen asparagus will not retain the same 'crunch' as fresh asparagus.
Recipes: Coming Soon!