IT’S Asparagus Season

If it is springtime, it is asparagus time in California. by

brian carter, director of produce

Springtime is synonymous with asparagus in California. Big and fat or small and skinny, California asparagus is a power vegetable and kind of a big deal. Asparagus has been cultivated for 2,500 years and for almost 150 years in California. Before harvesting, asparagus spends up to three years in the ground, and then it is harvested for a full season once it has fully matured.

California asparagus is grown to be less wasteful than other types of asparagus. Why? Because farmers deliberately produce extra-long asparagus spears so there are more edible parts. You can simply cut off the end and prepare the asparagus. Use the leftover stalk by cooking and pureeing it to put in stock, soups, and sauces. It is also much sweeter than asparagus grown elsewhere, due to California’s climate and the rich soil.

California is the nation’s largest asparagus producer, producing 70% of the annual crop. Other states that produce bunches of asparagus include Washington and Michigan, while other states may produce very small quantities. white, purple, and green

White asparagus and green asparagus come from the same plant. Green asparagus gets its color from sunlight. When the plant breaks through the ground, the sun hits it, turning it green. For white asparagus, sunlight is prevented from touching the plant by piling dirt on top of the stalks so the asparagus matures underground. Once the tip breaks through the surface, the stalk is cut with a special knife beneath the ground. Purple asparagus was developed in Italy, and like the white, is considered more of a specialty.

Green asparagus tends to have higher levels of nutrients, such as protein, as well as ascorbic acid, calcium, thiamin, and niacin. White asparagus generally has lower antioxidant content than green spears. Purple asparagus provides 4% of the recommended daily value for iron and 20% of the daily value for vitamin C per serving.

Green asparagus is a bit grassy in flavor, while white asparagus is mild and slightly bitter. Purple asparagus is a bit nuttier and sweeter because it has about 20% more sugar in its stalks.

Selecting And Storing

The size of the spears vary by the age of the plant. The youngest plants produce the skinny stalks, and the thicker spears from older plants are sweeter and juicier because they contain higher levels of carbohydrates.

Look for bright, solid spears with no blemishes, firm tightly closed tips, and avoid wilted looking stalks. Choose bunches with freshly cut ends and take a quick sniff; asparagus should have a fresh grassy smell with no odor of rot.

Try to eat asparagus as soon as you buy it, but it can be stored up to a week in the refrigerator. Place the spears upright in a dish of water or wrap a damp paper towel around the base and secure with a rubber band before storing in a plastic bag in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator.