How to Store Asparagus – general rules

Asparagus are young shoots of the asparagus plant that is grown as a vegetable. In this blog, we will discuss how to store asparagus for a long time. The white asparagus grows underground and does not see any light during the growing process. The green and purple asparagus grow above the ground and do see light during the growing process.

How to Store Asparagus?

1. White asparagus can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
2. Store green asparagus in the refrigerator for 7 days.
3. Store cooked asparagus in the refrigerator for 1 day.
4. Keep asparagus in the freezer, fresh or blanched for 4 to 6 months.

This article talks about white and green asparagus, as they are often stored in different ways. First, the white asparagus are discussed, later in this article the green asparagus.

Keep White Asparagus in Refrigerator

There are 3 ways to store unpeeled white asparagus. 

• Method 1: The white asparagus can be stored dry in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator, after purchase. The asparagus will then keep for 2 days. The vegetable drawer must be dry and clean. The asparagus must not be in moisture.
• Method 2: There is one more way to keep white asparagus in the refrigerator. Asparagus can certainly be kept in the refrigerator for 5 days, provided they are folded in a damp cloth wrapped around the asparagus and placed in the vegetable drawer. Check the cloth every day if it is still damp. Do not make the cloth too wet, as the asparagus will rot sooner. The fresher the asparagus, the better
• Method 3: White asparagus purchased in a bowl and covered with foil can be kept in the refrigerator for 5 days. There is a chance that the asparagus will become soft. So keep an eye on this or do not buy the asparagus in advance. Really fresh is best or wrap the asparagus in a cloth as described above.

Preserving White Peeled Asparagus

Peeled white asparagus that has not been cooked is not stored, but cooked and then possibly stored.

Store Cooked White Asparagus

Cooked white asparagus can only be kept in the refrigerator for 1 day. Best in your own cooking liquid and covered with foil or in a closed container with a tight-fitting lid. A sticker with the date of storage is useful.

Also Read this: How to Store Green Beans?

Prepared asparagus prepared and thus prepared with sauce is the same in this case. Also only store for 1 day in the refrigerator, in a tightly-closed container with a lid on. A sticker with a date on it is useful in case this tray disappears to the back of the shelf

Freezing White Asparagus

There are 2 ways to freeze white asparagus, namely fresh white asparagus or blanched asparagus.

Freeze fresh white asparagus

White asparagus can be frozen raw. They must first be peeled with a vegetable peeler and the bottom piece, about a centimeter, is cut off from the asparagus. After peeling, the asparagus can be placed in the freezer bags or containers. Cover well and a sticker with a date when the asparagus was packed. For example, you can store white asparagus in the freezer for 4 to 6 months.

Blanching and Freezing White Asparagus

Another way of freezing is to blanch the white asparagus before they go into the freezer. The white asparagus is peeled with a vegetable peeler and the bottom part is cut off. The asparagus can be cut into 3 pieces or blanched whole.

Blanching is done as follows: Place a pan with water on the heat source and bring the water to a boil. This can be a special asparagus pan, but a ‘normal’ pan works fine. Immediately prepare a pan with cold.

Put the asparagus in the pan with boiling water, wait 2 minutes and remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon. Put the asparagus directly in the pan with ice-cold water. After the asparagus has cooled, they are patted dry and placed in a freezer bag.

Sticker on the freezer bag, so that it is known when they were packed. The asparagus can be kept for 4 to 6 months, after which the flavor will decline.

 Preserve Green Asparagus

Green asparagus are stored and frozen differently than white asparagus. From here it is described how to store green asparagus.

There are 3 ways to store unpeeled green asparagus. Green asparagus are not peeled unless they are very thick.

1. Method 1: Store the green asparagus wrapped in a damp cloth in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. Make sure the heads of the green asparagus are not wrapped in the damp cloth or they will rot. Check regularly whether the cloth is still damp. Do not place the asparagus with a damp cloth on other vegetables that cannot withstand moisture. This way the asparagus can be kept for 5 days.

1. Method 2: In this way, a piece is cut off the bottom of the green asparagus, about 1 centimeter. The green asparagus are put in a glass jar with a layer of water of about 2 centimeters.

• The asparagus are all standing upright and against each other. Otherwise, the pot is too big or there are not enough asparagus. The green asparagus cups are above the rim of the pot, no more.
• It is also possible to cut the asparagus in half and put it in a lower pot as well, along with the top. A plastic bag goes over the cups of the green asparagus and over the pot, let it hang loosely.
• The jar is put in the refrigerator. The green asparagus can now be stored for 7 days. Always check how the asparagus is doing in the meantime. The sooner the asparagus is eaten, the fresher and tastier they are.

3. Method 3: Fresh green asparagus in the tray with foil over it, bought straight from the store, can be kept in the refrigerator for 5 days. Make sure that these do not become limp. Buy asparagus as close to the day of preparation as possible or wrap it in a damp cloth as described above.

Preserving Cooked Green Asparagus

There are 2 ways to store green asparagus when cooked. 

• Method 1: Even green asparagus can only be kept in the refrigerator for 1 day when cooked. The asparagus stays best with the cooking liquid in a container. A sticker with the date on it, on the tray in case it disappears to the back of the refrigerator.
• Method 2: Green asparagus that has been prepared and nicely prepared with a sauce can also be stored in the refrigerator for 1 day. Cover the asparagus with foil.

Freezing Green Asparagus

Green asparagus can be frozen. This requires some editing. There are 2 ways to freeze green asparagus.

Freezing Fresh Green Asparagus

Green asparagus can be frozen raw. Cut a piece off the bottom of the green asparagus, about 1 cm. Peeling is not necessary with the green asparagus. Use freezer bags or containers for freezing. Then put a sticker on the lid with the date of freezing. These asparagus can be stored in the freezer for 4 to 6 months.

Blanching and Freezing Green Asparagus

Green asparagus can be cooked briefly and then immediately cooled before being frozen. That is blanching.

Place a pan of water on the heat source and let the water boil. Have a pan of ice-cold water ready on the counter. Cook the asparagus in the pan for 2 minutes.

After 2 minutes they should be removed, do this with a slotted spoon. The asparagus immediately go into the pan with cold water. This is too cool so that they can go into the freezer. After the asparagus has cooled, they are patted dry and placed in a freezer bag.

Now they go in a freezer bag or container with a sticker and date when the asparagus is cooked. The frozen asparagus can be stored for 4 to 6 months.

Preserving Green or White Asparagus

Preserving green or white asparagus is a job that is not done quickly. The pots are boiled at 100 degrees for 10 minutes. You should only touch the pots on the outside after cooking.

You take the pots out of the pan with tongs and put the pots upside down on a spotless kitchen towel to drain. Under no circumstances dry on the inside.

The asparagus is prepared to go into the jars. Peel the asparagus, keep the peel for other purposes if necessary (for example soup). Prepare 1 part water and 1 equal part vinegar. In addition, 1.75 parts of sugar. When herbs or spices are desired, the peppercorn is a good option, along with the bay leaf. Garlic, dill, and pepper also go hand in hand with asparagus.

Put water, vinegar and herbs, and spices in a saucepan and boil it.

Put the asparagus, green or white or both, in the preserving jar and pour water mixed with vinegar and herbs. Fill the jar to the brim and close the lid.

There is a rubber ring on the lid that is important in allowing air to escape from the pot during the cooking process. Put clamps on the pots. Put the pot in the pan with boiled water. The pans are ¾ underwater.

Last Step

Bring the water to the boiling point and keep it that way, so do not boil it fully. In the jar with asparagus, the water temperature also rises and air leaves the jar through the rubber ring. This creates a vacuum when it cools down.

Leave this for 10 minutes and remove the jars from the water. Watch out, this is scorching hot. Let the pots cool on a heat-resistant surface. Remove the clamps and let the jars cool.

Label the jars with what’s in them and when they were checked. The pots can often be stored for a year. In the meantime, check whether mold has entered the pots.

Tip: Always look, taste, and smell good before the asparagus will be eaten again.

So now you know everything about storing asparagus.

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