Lest you think we are belaboring such an obvious point, let us say that the fun in this is that the asparagus automatically breaks just where the woody part ends and the fresh, juicy asparagus begins. Asparagus is usually planted in the form of bare-root crowns. What IS true is that as the spear grows both in height and in diameter, the part below ground and sometimes about an inch above the ground will get a little tougher. Difference Between Asparagus Plants & Crowns. Always peel white asparagus. % of people told us that this article helped them. Do not leave the foliage to rot on the beds as this will encourage insect infestations. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. It’s unlikely that you’ll have to peel your asparagus stalks unless they’re very thick. Asparagus bolt is really an incorrect term to describe what is actually happening to the asparagus patch, however. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. While I grow them for the food—this is my favorite recipe for asparagus —now that I see how lovely they are, I like it equally well as an ornamental plant. Hold the asparagus spear on each end firmly. Line up spears on a cutting board and use a long, sharp knife to trim about 1 inch off the flat ends. Gently bend the asparagus until it snaps. There are chefs who will tell you to bend the asparagus stem and let it naturally snap towards the bottom. When asparagus first emerges, slim, tender spears appear. (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Simply take the end of the asparagus between your thumb and forefinger and bend until it breaks. This article has been viewed 44,978 times. Asparagus spoils within 3-4 days in the refrigerator, but can be frozen for about 9 months. Line up 7-8 spears on a cutting board and use a long, sharp knife to trim about 1 inch off the flat ends. Gently bend the asparagus and you’ll feel where it wants to break then simply snap off. His areas of expertise include travel, sports and recreation, gardening, landscaping and the outdoors. To store in the freezer, simply wrap the asparagus in a damp cloth and put it in a non-airtight bag. You'll want to get rid of the cut part of the asparagus that has dried out since it was harvested. wikiHow's. It is also possible to snap stalks off with a gentle, twisting pull. ... Maybe the weird thing that people don't like about the bottom part of asparagus happens when you cook it, because I cut it almost down to the bottom and it is still delicious and tender. Then take a look at the cross section where you just cut it. Snapping asparagus at the so-called "natural break point" significantly increases food waste. The best way to trim asparagus is also the most obvious way: with a chef's knife and cutting board. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. Once asparagus plants reach their third year, you can harvest them fully every year, usually over a period of at least two months. It's almost as if that asparagus wants to be trimmed. Allowing asparagus shoots to develop into ferns during the first year will strengthen the roots and ensure healthy plants for many years to come. Store the loose asparagus in a produce bag in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Repeat with the remaining spears, setting the trimmed asparagus and the trimmed-off stem ends in separate piles. We’ve always been told to snap asparagus at the base to remove the toughest part of the spear – in fact, it’s a pretty fun kitchen chore. This is when they are most tender, but they will become tough and fibrous if you allow them to get much taller. Each spear will snap in its own place. If you have followed all the advice on asparagus care you will have asparagus ferns turning yellow by the autumn (October time). Last Updated: November 18, 2020 The tough end should break right off, leaving you with nothing but the tender tip. You can cut … Instead, use a knife to cut off the bottoms of the spears, then peel the tough outer skin. This is when they are most tender, but they will become tough and fibrous if you allow them to get much taller. The whole "snap and it comes off at the right place" thing is utterly bullshit. Keep bending until the asparagus snaps. You will likely lose more usable asparagus through this method, and your spears may be less neatly-cut. Line up all of the spears in a row and slice off the ends all at once. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. For more tips, including how to snap off the ends of your asparagus rather than cutting, read on! You can eat the whole spear except for the woody stem towards the bottom. Asparagus have a natural breaking point. When Do Spears Appear on Asparagus Plants? How long it takes them to mature depends on your climate, you should be able to harvest asparagus for a three-week period in spring during the second year. Harvesting times and seasons depend partly on your climate, but also on how long the asparagus has been growing in your garden. So you bend, and snap! Harvest to Table: Asparagus Growing and Care Calendar, Ohio State University Extension: Growing Asparagus In The Home Garden, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Answers to Frequently Asked Asparagus Questions, NC State University Extension: Home Garden Asparagus Production, The Best Time of Day to Harvest Asparagus, How to Mulch Asparagus in Cold Temperatures. Continue to harvest asparagus until the new stalks become small and thin. You can make the stalk snap wherever you like, even if you hold the "asparagus about halfway down the stalk; with the other hand, hold the cut end between the thumb and index finger about an inch or so up from the bottom" as Cook's Illustrated suggests you do. Asparagus is one of the few crops that will return year after year. http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--817/all-about-asparagus.asp, http://www.seriouseats.com/2017/04/how-to-trim-asparagus-stalks-spears.html, https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/easiest-ways-to-trim-produce#how-to-trim-asparagus, https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/9894-peeling-asparagus-is-it-worth-the-fuss, https://sixburnersue.com/cooking-fresh-eating-green/2010/03/a-prettier-way-to-cut-asparagus-and-a-tasty-easter-side-dish/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGujF-msrP0&feature=youtu.be&t=44s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGujF-msrP0&feature=youtu.be&t=48s, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Wherever the stalk snaps is where the tender part starts and the tough part ends. If you’re unsure, though, it’s better to peel off the extra skin than have hard asparagus bits in your dish. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. You can use them as a part of the main course or as a tasty vegetable side. When cutting asparagus, you’ll first need to trim off the tough, woody flat ends of the spears. Then, you can slice your asparagus diagonally or chop it into small pieces to add a healthy crunch to your dish. You can begin to harvest asparagus the second year after planting crowns. Use a paring knife to cut off the tough part, saving the tenderest part of the spear. The same thing you do with asparagus. These crowns may produce asparagus shoots during their first growing season, but you should not harvest them. What does "stalks sliced into rounds" mean? The stalks are long and skinny, but round like cylinders. If you try breaking the foot of a stem by bending it (instead of cutting) will break right where the foot becomes too fibrous to be enjoyable. You should cut right where the stalks turn from white into green. 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