Kitchen Tip #2: Storing/Preparing Asparagus

Posted by Lesli

Asparagus is a pretty friendly vegetable. It doesn't ask much of you and it tastes great. After making sure to select bright green stalks with dark purple tips, make sure to store your asparagus in the fridge. I treat the stalks like flowers and place them in a tall container (tall enough that it doesn't overbalance from the height of the asparagus) with about 1/2 an inch of water in it. This hydrates the asparagus from the base, keeping it from drying out. Cover the tops of the asparagus loosely with a plastic baggie.

When I'm ready to use the asparagus, I fill a sink with water and place the asparagus in the water. I gently swish it around. Lots of sand can be washed out of the tips using this method. I then drain the asparagus in a colander. To completely ready the asparagus for cooking, I gently bend the bottom of the stem until I find the place where the asparagus snaps easily. The bottom 1/2 - 1 inch that snaps off goes into the garbage, the top half is the best and freshest part of the asparagus.

- Lesli

TAGS: Asparagus, Colander, Drain, Flowers, Green, Hydrates, Inch, Tastes, Top, Vegetable
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