Asparagus is one of the most popular ingredients in your kitchen. Not only is it rich in nutrients, but it can also provide for the body. Asparagus is also a special ingredient that can be processed into many different typical dishes. Unfortunately, the season of asparagus is very short, and storing it in the fridge quickly deteriorates. So, can you freeze asparagus? Join us to find out in this article!
Can You Freeze Asparagus?
We can tell you this: You can freeze asparagus completely. However, for your asparagus to retain its flavor, enzymes and nutritional content you need to be in the right way.
You know, there are many reasons why people love asparagus. Its succulent green stalk won’t last long in the refrigerator because the enzymes in asparagus are special. It can easily decompose when exposed to too long with air and it’s the same way of storing it in the refrigerator cooler. If you don’t just want to enjoy asparagus only in its season, but want to keep it last longer, consider freezing. To “can you freeze asparagus” go for thicker asparagus plants, which will keep the temperature lower than thin and small asparagus sticks.
5 Easy Steps Way to Freeze Asparagus
Step 1: Wash the Asparagus
Unlike storing in the cooler, the method of freezing asparagus requires you to wash, sort, and pre-process them. This washing and preliminary treatment will help you retain the enzymes as well as the nutritional components of asparagus.
When sorting and rinsing, remove any shoots that are soft, soggy, or atrophied. These bamboo shoots are not delicious when eaten fresh and certainly, when frozen they do not make them better. After sorting, rinse the tops of asparagus under the tap water!
Step 2: Cut Off the End of the Stem
You should now have a certain amount of asparagus cleaned. Make sure the asparagus length fits the size of your container or zip bag. Place the asparagus in turn, starting with the tops of the asparagus. Then use a knife to cut off the lower base so that it fits the size of the container.
Or if you don’t want to waste too much of the base of the asparagus, you can use a knife to cut each stump one at a time to remove most of the stump that is too hard. This original part will make you feel uncomfortable when preparing the dish.
Step 3: Blanch with Boiling Water
Why do you freeze it and blanch it in boiling water? This is the question you are asking, right? Let us explain! As you know, asparagus is a food with a rich amount of nutrients. It also has a large amount of enzymes that easily break down when exposed to the air for too long.
So how can it be exposed to air when frozen? Yes, freezing these enzymes will not be exposed to air, but when you defrost it for cooking, it will have a chance of being exposed to the air. So we encourage you to take this step to preserve the great taste as well as the enzymes and nutrients of asparagus.
- Prepare a pot of boiled water and a tub of ice-cold water at the same time.
- If your asparagus after treatment has different thicknesses. Wait until the pot of water is boiling, boil the thickest tops first, only until they turn bright green, about 4 minutes. Next is the medium-sized bamboo shoots for about 3 minutes, followed by thinner shoots for about 2 minutes.
- When the time to boil the bamboo shoots is enough, take them out and immediately put them in a basin of clean, prepared ice.
- After about 3-5 minutes, remove the bamboo shoots, drain them and get ready to freeze them!
Step 4: Bag of Asparagus
Once the asparagus has been drained, grab a container or zip bags to put the asparagus in. Asparagus is a food suitable for vacuum packaging, to best limit oxidation. So if your home has a vacuum bag set, use it for you to freeze asparagus! If you are busy without a vacuum bag, use a regular zip bag and try to get as much air out of the bag as possible. The removal of air to avoid freezer drying and burning.
We send you this secret! Put the food in the Ziploc bag, close the top lock, but leave enough space to insert the soda straw. Then remove the air by sucking the air out from the soda straw. Finally, press the straw firmly in place and finish closing the bag when you remove the straw.
Step 5: Freeze Asparagus
Finally, place the bags of asparagus that have been vacuum-packed and packed into your refrigerator’s freezer. Be careful not to put too many bags on – these are fragile vegetables, although you have blanched them with such boiling water, you should not stack them too high and too much. If you keep the pieces in a single layer they will harden quickly and last up to 8 months. Isn’t that great?
Cook with Frozen Asparagus
Frozen asparagus won’t be as crispy as fresh asparagus, but its nutrients are still preserved. So, with frozen asparagus, choose to cook them into soft textured dishes. Examples include hot or chilled soups, risotto, pasta sauce, or casseroles.
And with these dishes, you can cook asparagus from frozen, so there is no need to thaw it first. This way, just freezing the asparagus properly will give you the asparagus to use throughout the year. Great!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I freeze asparagus without blanching it?
May. You can completely freeze asparagus without blanching. However, as we shared in step 3. Asparagus is one of the most perishable vegetables at room temperature, and its enzymes will continue to break down over time. If you freeze the un-blanched asparagus, it loses color, flavor, and texture in the freezer and is unattractive or flavorful when you’re ready to use it.
2. How long can the frozen asparagus be stored?
If the asparagus is blanched and stored in the same steps as we have shared, the asparagus will stay fresh, green, and delicious for about 8-12 months. After this ideal time, asparagus will begin to lose color and flavor after a year.
3. Are frozen asparagus just as good as fresh asparagus?
Can’t be sure. Because asparagus is a very perishable vegetable. So, the comparison of frozen asparagus with fresh asparagus depends on the source of ingredients, freshness, and storage. Asparagus is easily damaged by oxidation and overripe due to its enzymes. So if you buy frozen asparagus pre-made from the grocery store, it’s better than freezing yourself. This is because frozen food companies use farm-fresh produce and rapid freezing methods to prevent spoilage.
However, when buying fresh asparagus at the grocery store, it is also difficult to know how long ago it was packaged, how far it has been shipped, and whether it will be kept in optimal condition throughout the entire life. space no.
If you buy the fresh asparagus on the farm and then trim, blanch, freeze and store properly, you can keep the quality and taste and it’s just as good as fresh. To freeze at home, thicker asparagus tops tend to last longer and white asparagus is the most durable. This we shared with you in step 1.
4. What is the exact time to blanch asparagus?
As we shared in step 3. The time it takes asparagus to reach maturity depends on its length and freshness. Varies in the range of 2 – 4 minutes. Visually blanch asparagus satisfactorily when it is bright green and soft when poked through with a knife.
Final Words
You are sure to be extremely satisfied with the question “can you freeze asparagus?” is not it? You see, we are always dedicated and dedicated to all the experiences we have had. It was worthy of our 5* rating and follow us regularly, right? Wish you more and more delicious cooking recipes!