Food - Drink
14 Mistakes You Need To Avoid With Asparagus
By TAYLOR MURRAY
Buying It Out Of Season
For the best-tasting asparagus, buy spears in the spring. You'll find bunches with better flavor as well as a wide range of different breeds, including purple and white asparagus.
In-season asparagus from a local market is higher in vitamins and nutrients, and is better for the environment since it uses fewer fossil fuels to get from the farm to the table.
Not Peeling It
Removing the woody end is one of the most fundamental steps when preparing asparagus. You could snap it off, but peeling it makes the end much more tender.
Microwaving It
There are many things that can be prepared in the microwave to a similar degree of quality as one would expect from the stovetop or oven. Asparagus simply isn’t one of them.
If you want a simple, hands-off method for cooking this delicate vegetable, try roasting it in the air fryer or simply steaming it.
Tossing The Ends
Soup is one of the best dishes to use up your leftover asparagus ends. Just because the ends are tough and fibrous doesn’t mean they're flavorless and useless.
By simmering the ends well and blending the mixture, the tough fibers get broken down, and a final straining of the velvety soup removes the last few hard bits.
Storing It Dry
You may have noticed that the bottom end of asparagus looks like a cut flower stem, and just like flowers, asparagus stalks last longer when their bottoms are kept in cold water.
The asparagus soaks up the water through the cut end, preventing it from getting limp. About a 1/2 inch of water in a mason jar should be plenty for storing the stalks.