Florentina Lewis
It’s finally asparagus season again! But how do we have something of the delicious vegetables longer? By freezing asparagus, of course. But are the seasonal vegetables frozen raw or cooked? That’s how it works.
Can you freeze asparagus?
Like many types of vegetables, asparagus can be frozen easily. This applies to white asparagus as well as to the green variant – you can also freeze green asparagus without any worries.
Freeze asparagus: raw or cooked?
It doesn’t matter whether it’s the white or green variant of the seasonal vegetable: It’s important in what condition you freeze the asparagus so that it doesn’t lose its taste. You should never freeze asparagus after heating it. Whether boiled, roasted, or just blanched – as soon as you freeze heated asparagus, it loses its aroma, color, and bite.
You should always freeze raw asparagus.
Freeze fresh white asparagus properly: Here’s how
- Peel the asparagus and cut off the woody ends.
- Wash the rods and then dry them thoroughly.
- Place the veggies in a freezer bag or airtight container. Important: The container must be hermetically sealed.
Freeze fresh green asparagus: Here’s how
Unlike white asparagus, you don’t need to peel green asparagus before freezing. Instead, just wash and pat dry and cut off the bottom ends as you would with white asparagus – and pack in an airtight container before freezing.
How long can you freeze asparagus?
Asparagus is the perfect frozen vegetable because when frozen, the spears can be kept for between six and eight months. So long enough to be supplied with asparagus for months after the end of the asparagus season on June 24th.
What is the best way to defrost asparagus?
Not only when freezing, but also when thawing, you should pay attention to an important aspect: Never let the sticks thaw slowly at room temperature. As a result, the vegetables lose a lot of water and lose their taste.
Instead, cook the frozen asparagus directly, i.e. put the spears in boiling water and prepare as usual. In this way, asparagus retains its tasty aroma after freezing and subsequent thawing.
