Fresh White Asparagus

Fresh White Asparagus

Asparagus is a vegetable plant native to the Mediterranean basin. Known to the Romans, it has been cultivated there since the 15th century. There are two types of asparagus: green asparagus and White Asparagus.

Fresh White Asparagus is a very low-calorie vegetable (as long as you don't drown it in vinaigrette sauce) and is particularly rich in minerals. Note in particular the presence of potassium, iron, calcium, and magnesium at interesting concentrations. To preserve the nutritional intake, steam cooking is essential to avoid the escape of minerals in the cooking water.

Simply steamed or boiled in salted water, it can be enjoyed with a variety of vinaigrettes, as an omelet, in a pie or a cream soup. Whether you like it al dente or fondant, it goes well with eggs, poultry, salads, soft cheeses or white meats.

Origin of White Asparagus

Originally from the Mediterranean basin, asparagus was already known to the Romans and has been cultivated there since the 15th century. However, it was not until the 18th century that the creation of different varieties began. This vegetable will even make the reputation of the city of Argenteuil at the beginning of the 19th century, although today there is no longer any.

White Asparagus variety grows entirely underground, deprived of sunlight, which gives it a very fine texture and its color which remains white. With a firm and brittle stem, White Asparagus is characterized by a heel still moist and the bud closed. 

How to store White Asparagus:

• The ideal is to consume them quickly after purchase. Store them in bundles, in a damp cloth, pointed up, in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. They can also be left in the sachet. Refrigeration of cooked asparagus is not advised: they would lose all their flavors and become soft.

• They can also be frozen once blanched for 3 minutes in boiling salted water, well dried, then bagged (be careful not to break the tips).

• Put them in jars: Peel them, cut them to the height of the jars. Store the heads down, pour a teaspoon of coarse salt, fill up with water, close and sterilize. To do this, immerse the jar in a large container of cold water. Your jar should be covered with at least 3 cm of water (3 cm above the lid). Bring to the boil and leave to sterilize for 1 hour 30 minutes and leave to cool in the container. Prepared like this, you can keep them for a year. Once cooked, consume them quickly. The longer you wait, the more they will lose their flavor and become all soft.

 

Why do White Asparagus colors change?

When the asparagus tip reaches the top layer of the soil and discovers daylight, it produces pigments giving a pale pink then bright pink hue to the bud (purple white asparagus). When the asparagus emerges above the ground, the concentration of these pigments increases at the same time as the chlorophyll synthesis begins. Above ground, the asparagus quickly turns green, the point stretches and becomes narrower.

As with many vegetables, asparagus has many properties. It contains a lot of vitamins A, B and PP, as well as phosphorus and manganese, just like garlic and onion which are part of the same family. White Asparagus is recommended as a laxative, depurative and diuretic, among other things.

How to cook White Asparagus?

White Asparagus is always a very popular food for the majority of people. The most classic way to prepare white asparagus is to cook it in a "white", a mixture of water, flour, and vinegar or lemon eaten cold with a vinaigrette.

However, White Asparagus can be served in many ways, including clafoutis, mousse with smoked salmon, with chorizo or with a strawberry vinaigrette. A quiche made with asparagus and fish or seafood is also very popular.

Fresh White Asparagus is usually peeled before cooking. They can be boiled, steamed, roasted or fried. It should be noted that there are also canned asparagus already prepared, of which China remains the world's number one exporter.

Preparation of fresh asparagus

Start by cutting the stems of White Asparagus to remove the fibrous part. Wash them, then use a peeler to peel them (remove the hard part): hold the asparagus by the tip and peel it, keeping the tip intact. Using a roast string, form bundles of about ten White Asparagus. Make sure that they are tied up along their entire length (for example make a twine at the bottom, one in the middle and one at the top not too close to the tip). The string should not be too tight so as not to cut the asparagus during cooking. Bring a large amount of salted water to a boil and immerse the asparagus in it. They must be fully submerged. Cook over medium heat for 18 minutes. You can control the cooking by pricking them with knifepoint: they must be tender. Be careful, when they are overcooked, the tips tend to come apart and leave in the cooking water! Take the asparagus out of the pan and pass it under a trickle of cold water to stop cooking.

Cooking in a pressure cooker

You can use your pressure cooker for faster cooking. Please note that this is submerged cooking (therefore not in the steam basket). Prepare the asparagus as indicated above, then place them in the pressure cooker pan. Cover with salted water and leave the leather for 5 minutes from the moment the pressure cooker is under pressure (= when steam escapes from the valve).

How to eat Asparagus?

White Asparagus is just excellent with dressing or mayonnaise. They have a very fine taste and blend well with many dishes and sauces ( fish, vegetables, pasta ...). In terms of nutritional qualities, White Asparagus is known for its benefits especially for pregnant women because it contains a high level of vitamins B9 and K.

Jumbo White Asparagus flavor is mild, earthy and nutty. It is derived from the same varieties as green asparagus, however, its growing method separates it from other varieties; while being cultivated, it has never seen the light of day, removing chlorophyll from the equation. Therefore it matures without color, making it the albino version of asparagus.

Suggestion: White Asparagus are tender and sweet and can be eaten raw or cooked. Saute chopped white asparagus with shrimp or scallops, or cook quickly in brown butter and serve as aside. Thinly slice the asparagus spears on a diagonal, then toss with chopped watercress, shaved pecorino romano cheese, and vinaigrette.

1 pound (454 gram)  - Weight Approximates

Ingredients: White Asparagus

Packaging: Plastic Wrap

Product of France

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