Hi my Asparagus is in full swing and I am thoroughly enjoying it however I am away for a few days over Easter so I have two days harvest that I would like to make use of.
Has anyone any advice on freezing asparagus - do I just clean, bag and freeze or does it require blanching? bit uncertain about blanching because although as I understand it does kill off bacteria/enzymes (not sure) I don't like the idea of completely submerging asparagus in water?
Any advice would be very welcome - many thanks
Dose this mean no one freezes Asparagus?
I've frozen asparagus without blanching, I don't tend to keep it that long in the freezer so no problems. I can't see any problem with blanching in a steamer to be honest.
I've just made asparagus and pea soup :)
I too freeze unblanched, comes out just fine, I tend to think blanching is unnecessary anyway (ducks to avoid flak...)
It turns to mush as far as I am aware in the domestic freezer. I think the 'birds-eye' type of commercial vegetable freezing people may have a way of dry freezing which is superior but I only bought frozen asparagus once and was so totally unimpressed. I was disappointed
My suggestion is to make it into a soup using chicken stock and bring it back to life with a lot of butter or/and fresh cream.
If you have too much to eat (well done you) give it away to a friend, relative or either some one you owe a favour to/ some one you may want a favour from.
Just enjoy the season and over indulge. It does not keep.
Sorry PH ... it does keep. No problems with freezing asparagus, although, like others, I don't do it longterm. I have two bags - one for real asparagus use and the other (the ends) for soup in the future. never had any problems and don't blanch.
Well Grawrc The world would be a sad place if we all agreed on every thing.
I do agree that to keep the end bits for soup and stock is fine. Perhaps others need to try for them selves but the crisp tops are the bits I enjoy and freezing, well it don't work for me.
Freezing works for me too. I do blanch very briefly. Then I freeze on flat trays and only pack when they are frozen through.
Everything changes slightly when frozen but asparagus doesn`t change anymore than green beans or corn cobs do .
It needs less time cooking.
I have also canned it, it then is identical to canned commercial aparagus which is soft but frozen is closer to fresh
XX Jeannine.
If freezing asparagus worked it would be sold as frozen
It does not. It is not sold frozen only fresh
The only way to eat it is fresh.
Certainly you can add it to stews and soups if you grow your own and I do but I wont lie and say that it is fit to serve after freezing as a vegetable. Not to my friends and family any way but then we are fussy about what we eat.
Asda sell it frozen. I don't buy it but it is there.
Regarding fussiness, I am extremely fussy .
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I repeat it is no more different frozen that beans or corn on the cob are. Of course there are differences. Even when I freeze beans I only freeze varieties bred for freezing as there is so much differncve between them.. I am that fussy.
With respect I would suggest that the way food is prepared for freezing, drying, canning or smoking can make a big difference to how it ends up.
We preserve many types of food including those mentioned above.
I would not can salmon and expect it to be the same as a fresh piece but it is a way of preserving surplus, and we do that every year too.
I doubt anyone would expect any preserved veggie , fish, fruit or meat to be the same as the fresh article
Food preservation is an art like any other form of food prep, perhaps you have not yet tasted any that was well done. I think frozen peas are very different to fresh too yet hundreds of folks buy them..