Tips
Cooking Fresh AsparagusAllow approximately ½lb or 250g of asparagus per person. Before cooking wash the asparagus carefully; young asparagus needs no further preparation. The woody ends of the older stems can be snapped off with the fingers.
Three suggested methods of cooking asparagus are as follows:
Steaming Method
Lay the lightly salted asparagus flat in the top of a double steamer over boiling water. Cover and steam for approximately 10 minutes.
Boiling Method
Tie the asparagus in bundles of 10-12 spears, using soft tape to avoid damaging the stems. Stand the bundles upright in a pan of lightly salted water so the stalks cook in the water and the tips in steam. Cover the pan and simmer gently for approximately 10 minutes
Microwave Method
Arrange the spears in a baking dish and add 2 fl oz (60ml) water. Cover tightly and microwave on HIGH for 5-6 minutes. Allow to stand for 1 minute, then drain.
Serve either warm with melted butter or Hollandaise sauce, or cold with French dressing. Asparagus is traditionally eaten with the fingers. Dip the stalks in butter, sauce or dressing and leave any woody part of the stems.
Important: Cooking times vary according to the age, size and length of stems but as a general rule asparagus is cooked when the tips are tender but not soft to the point of a knife.
Freezing Asparagus
When purchasing asparagus for freezing look for stems with tightly formed heads and avoid thin or woody stems. Blanching is necessary for long storage (up to one year); for short storage, asparagus can be frozen unblanched. Prepare spears as usual, by washing well and snapping off any woody stems.
Blanching
a) Traditional – plunge spears into a large pan of boiling water: thin stems for 2 minutes, thicker stems for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water to prevent further cooking. Drain and dry on paper towels.
b) Microwave – put spears in a heavy-duty freezer bag in the microwave and cook on HIGH for 2 minutes, turning over half way through.
c) Freezing – place blanched asparagus on a flat tray and cover with cling film. When frozen, repack in individual containers or packages. Small quantities can be frozen directly in containers.
Cooking From Frozen
a) Traditional – Asparagus from the freezer tends to lose its texture and therefore requires more care when cooking. You must allow for this when using frozen asparagus in recipes assuming the use of fresh asparagus.
When cooking from frozen, use a large flat saucepan or deep frying pan so that the spears do not bend or break during cooking. Boil in lightly salted, boiling water for 5-8 minutes depending on the thickness of stem. Drain and serve.
b) Microwave – Place the asparagus in a microwaveable flat dish. If cooked directly from the freezer, allow 10 minutes to the pound, with 3 tablespoons of water. Stand for 5 minutes.