Asparagus

[crowbar032]

This is the 5th year for my asparagus patch. So far it is producing nicely, but I'm going to end up with more than I can possibly eat. One year I put some in the freezer after blanching and it turned out slimy. Has anyone found a way to prevent the slimy texture after freezing?

 

[jinman]

I don't think freezing works extremely well for asparagus. You never see it frozen in the stores. It can be canned or pickled, but I can't recall ever seeing it alone or included in any vegetable pack in the frozen food aisles. I could be wrong and just have not noticed it, but all I've noticed is canned and fresh. I'd never seen it pickled until recently and that was online. I tried pickling by cutting it into 1-1/2" to 2" pieces and putting it into pickling vinegar after the jar was emptied of regular pickles. It worked great. A jar that had pickled olives was very salty and that is my favorite. Another jar had pickled peppers and it is also good. Don't chill the asparagus before cutting and putting in the pickling, or if it is chilled, let it come to room temperature. Then put it into the pickle jar with some onion chunks and refrigerate. The warm asparagus will pull the pickling vinegar into it as it chills and will be ready to eat within 5-7 days. Of course, that's not the way you would pickle something for long-term storage, but if you have an abundance that needs to be attended to, you can pickle it and then enjoy it up to a couple of months. It's also great raw, just cut up into salads or dipped into your favorite ranch or onion dip.

BTW: Did you blanch before freezing? A quick blanch and chill in ice water afterwards could kill surface bacteria and still let the spears stay crisp. An online search suggests blanching and freezing. You might also try freezing fresh in the vacuum packs for short periods of time if you have a vacuum sealer.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

This is the 5th year for my asparagus patch. So far it is producing nicely, but I'm going to end up with more than I can possibly eat. One year I put some in the freezer after blanching and it turned out slimy. Has anyone found a way to prevent the slimy texture after freezing?

Wife says put it in the oven at about 250 until it turns bright green to blanch it. We use the Food Saver to vacuum pack what we freeze, works WONDERFULLY for fresh corn. Blanching, as I understand it, kills the enzymes that cause deterioration; especiall the enzyme that turns sugar into starch.

 

[cqaigy2]

We buy frozen asparagus from the store quite often. We freeze asparagus by blanching, laying out on cookie sheet in the freezer, then when thoroughly frozen, we put them in zip lock baggies. There are enzymes in veggys that will digest them and make them slimey, they are typically destroyed by heat such as blanching, etc. so maybe they weren't blanched long enough. Also if you cook the asparagus before freezing maybe that would effect the texture, I've never froze cook asparagus though. Another reason for poor results is if it take too long to freeze, like if you would pack a bunch of unfrozen together into the freezer. You want them to freeze quickly and completely.

 

[Dr Dave]

There is a local company that has pickled asparagus, I will have to try it and report.

Dave

 

[crowbar032]

I did blanch the previous batch. 3 minutes, then cold water rinse, air dry, then in quart freezer bags. Maybe need to blanch longer this time. I'm intrigued by the pickling, must google recipes now. Thanks guys.

 

[magicheater]

Maybe this will help.
And by the way, it is not up here yet but last year I picked on March 31st!

 

[jinman]

We buy frozen asparagus from the store quite often.

Well, there you go. . . I was afraid I was just not paying close enough attention. I've never noticed it, but you've confirmed it does exist.

 

[dave1949]

My wife manages to eat all of the asparagus I grow, don't have to worry about preserving it. Once in a while, I get some too. :laughing:

I've never tried frozen or pickled asparagus. It is such a delicacy cut fresh from the garden.