How to Cook Asparagus

Wondering how to Cook Asparagus? Look no further, its easy and there are far more ways to cook asparagus than you might think. Not only will we show you how to cook asparagus but we will also look at some more unusual methods including pickling, deep frying, blanching,broiling, sauteing, stir frying, grilling, roasting…...

We will also look at some methods of storing asparagus for future use including freezing, canning and drying.

Scroll on down to see how to choose asparagus in the shops and how to prepare it for cooking.

If you are reading this you are probably already a lover of fresh asparagus steamed so that it melts in your mouth and served in a tasty layer of melted butter.

If you are not sure how to achieve this simplest of dishes go to the pages on steamed asparagus or how to microwave asparagus where you will find full instructions. The question "how do you cook asparagus" will be answered!

If you want a recipe using asparagus as an ingredient you might want to go to the section on asparagus recipes.

If you want some alternative ways to cook asparagus as a main vegetable to accompany part of your meal check out how to roast asparagus or how to grill asparagus . These are slightly less obvious methods of cooking asparagus that have become much more popular recently and are still very easy.

What are you looking for when you buy asparagus?

Like most vegetables the fresher the better. Look for spears that are nice and firm (as opposed to limp or floppy). If you can buy local asparagus in season you are on to a winner.

If you are lucky enough to live in an asparagus growing area (in the UK) during the season take a look at your local farm shops. Ask what varieties they have and try some different ones. Even if your area is not an asparagus growing region you will notice the difference in flavour when the season begins and the supermarkets and greengrocers are stocking asparagus grown in your home country be that the UK, USA....or elsewhere. 

If you live in Australia check for local farmers markets at the Australian farmer markets association page.

Prepare and eat your spears as soon as possible whilst the the stalks are nice and firm and not floppy. Pop the bundle in water standing upright like a bunch of flowers until you are ready to cook them. This will help keep them nice and fresh.

You can now buy imported asparagus all year round but make sure that during the season you buy the most local fresh produce that you can.

How to prepare asparagus for cooking

Preparing asparagus for cooking is quick and easy. Should you wash asparagus? well I guess that comes down to personal choice, but it is advisable to wash any vegetables unless you know exactly what is on them because you grew them! A quick rinse in cold water will do the job.

The feathery end of the asparagus stalk is the really tender tasty part but the rest of the stem has plenty of flavour and only the thicker end is tough. So there are two schools of thought as to how and where to cut the asparagus stalk.

I tend to go with the snap it off method. This involves holding each stalk about half way down its length and at the thick end then bending it until it snaps. The short stubby whitish end is discarded and the green end cooked. (or you might want to hold onto the short end and use it in a soup or casserole for extra flavour). You can do this really quickly once you get the knack.

The alternative is to place the stalks on a chopping board and cut the ends of about 3-5cm from the end. This will work fine when you get to know how tough the stalks get but I’d go with the snapping method any day.

Beware the floppy asparagus. If your asparagus is not as fresh as it might be it won’t snap as well. Try putting it in some water (like a bunch of flowers for a while) you might just revive it and make it taste fresher!

So now read on, I suggest you learn how to cook asparagus with How to Steam Asparagus and then ENJOY!

Hopefully by the time you have looked around these pages you will be confident that you know how to cook asparagus. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us through our contact page and look through our recipes for both fresh asparagus and canned asparagus.

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