FoodFood InformationVegetables
Asparagus is the aristocrat of the vegetable kingdom. A member of the
lily family, it is believed to have originated in Asia Minor. The ancient
Greeks and Romans prized it highly as both a food and as a medicine.
The arrival of fresh asparagus used to be the first herald of spring. It
made its annual debut late in February and bowed out of season in mid-July.
Today, thanks to improved agricultural know-how, modern refrigeration, and
especially the speed of the cargo jet, this former rite of spring has been
extended to cover all four seasons and is now available year-round. In January
we get asparagus from Mexico, Chile, and New Zealand. In February the California
crop comes on line and is available until July, at which time we get asparagus
from Washington and Michigan. Late in September we get a second crop from
Mexico. In October, November, and December we again fly in asparagus from
Chile and New Zealand.
California is by far our best and largest source of "grass" (a
market term for asparagus long before it became popular in reference to
marijuana). California is also a major exporter of asparagus, via jet, to
Europe. The California season reaches peak in mid-April and, weather permitting,
it is sustained until the end of June, at which time Washington State and
Michigan take up the slack.
Fresh asparagus is also produced on a more limited scale in Oregon, Pennsylvania,
and New Jersey, but these crops are mostly sold locally. Not too long ago
New Jersey was a major source of supply. However, in recent years their
tonnage has significantly decreased due to their crops being ravaged by
a plant disease known as fusarium root rot.
When shopping for asparagus, look for the two hallmarks that identify quality:
the condition of the tips and the color of the spears. Perfect asparagus
will have tips that are dry, tight, firm, and purplish in hue, and come
to a point. If the tips are feathery, open, and soft, or have gone to seed,
that asparagus is past its prime but still usable. However, if the tips
are wet or slimy, they are on the verge of, or have started to, decay and
should be avoided. Aged or decayed asparagus emits a most unpleasant odor.
If you have any doubts about its freshness, your nose is your best guide.
There are some white (actually oyster-colored) varieties of asparagus.
They have a stronger, more earthy, taste than the green types. While this
white asparagus is highly prized in Europe, it is seldom sold in the United
States. We prefer the more tender green varieties.
When purchasing asparagus, the price tag is not a true barometer of its
value. In the green varieties, the greener the spear, the better the quality
and the greater the yield. Even in all-green asparagus, at least 15 percent
to 20 percent of the spear is too woody and chewy to be palatable. In spears
that are half white and half green, the bottom 70 percent of the spear is
inedible. Spears that are green only near the tip can have as much as 90
percent waste. Therefore, all-green asparagus is always a better buy than
asparagus that is less green selling for half the price. Since asparagus
is usually quite costly, the prudent shopper should always check out the
color of the spears as well as the condition of the tips prior to making
a purchase.
The presence of sand or loam in fresh asparagus can be a gritty problem.
When sand gets lodged in the tips, no amount of rinsing with water will
totally remove it. If there is any trace of sand in the asparagus you find
in your market, pick up a bunch of broccoli in its stead. Asparagus from
New Jersey is more likely to have sand than asparagus from other areas.
California asparagus rarely has this problem.
Asparagus spears can be either pencil thin or as thick as your thumb. In
asparagus of comparable quality (condition of the tips and color of the
spears), the thickness has little bearing on the quality. However, as a
rule, the thicker the spear, the higher the price. The haute cuisine eateries
will pay premium prices for the thickest asparagus, yet in Italian neighborhoods
merchants can't give thick asparagus away. There, the very thinnest spears
(in the trade they are called spaghetti) are most highly prized. A traditional
Neapolitan recipe calls for frying very thin asparagus with eggs.
Until about twenty years ago, all the asparagus that came to market was
carefully graded by thickness and packaged in 23/4 pound bunches. In order
of decreasing thickness, the spears were graded as colossal, extra select,
select, extra fancy, fancy, and standard. Today asparagus comes loosely
packed in fifteen- or thirty-pound boxes. It is no longer bunched or accurately
graded by size or thickness. When you purchase asparagus, try to select
spears that are uniform in thickness. If there is too great a range in size,
the thinner spears will be overcooked by the time the thicker ones are just
tender.
To get the most mileage out of asparagus, here is an old wives' tale that
really works: Never cut the spears with a knife. Snap them as you would
a twig or a pencil. This is easily accomplished because fresh asparagus
is quite brittle. Magically, where the spear snaps is the dividing point
between the tender and tough portions. When you use this method your end
product may not be uniform in length, but it will be uniform in texture
and tenderness and you won't be discarding any edible asparagus. If the
asparagus is fresh, there is no need to peel or pare it with a knife. As
with fresh mushrooms, peeling the spears is not only a waste of time but
also a waste of asparagus.
WHEN TO BUY: Available year-round; At peak: March to July
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Dry, tight, firm, purplish tips that come to a point and
vegetables have a fresh odor
HOW TO STORE: Refrigerate immediately after purchase
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