These heralds of spring come in all shapes and forms
The asparagus season is eagerly anticipated every year. White asparagus aside, the green asparagus is becoming more and more popular – it’s easy to prepare and very tasty.
Asparagus plants are flowering perennial plants that grow in moderately tropical areas. The asparagus that we’re familiar with is just one type of subspecies. The vegetable was used as a food and a medicinal plant in ancient Egypt as well as in the Roman and Greek empires. The green asparagus variety grows above the earth, in contrast to the white asparagus. The vegetable turns green due to its exposure to sunlight and the formation of the green pigment chlorophyll. The green variety is originally from the Mediterranean, where it’s more popular than the white species.
Class |
asparagus |
Calories |
30 kcal per 100 g |
Nutrients |
3.3 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fibre, 0.2 g fat, 2.2 g protein per 100 g |
Season |
from April to June for regional products |
Storage |
vegetable drawer of refrigerator |
Shelf life |
three to four days |
Asparagus plants are relatively undemanding plants that grow in just about any soil that’s not too stony and humid. Asparagus is cultivated in many parts of the world where there is a subtropical or moderate climate, such as Switzerland. While the white asparagus that is grown below ground is difficult to harvest, the green asparagus is simply picked as long as the heads are still closed. The asparagus is usually harvested from early to mid-April and then shortly thereafter, sold.
Make sure to properly examine asparagus when buying it in the supermarket – the stalks should have a rich green colour and may be bent depending on the commercial category, but this does not affect the taste. When choosing a bunch of asparagus, pay attention to the ends and tips: If the ends are glossy and the tips of the vegetable still mostly closed, they’re good to go! On the other hand, if the tips are fully open and the ends are slightly mouldy, leave them there.
In case you don’t need the asparagus immediately, there’s a trick to keeping the asparagus fresh for three to four days: wrap the vegetable in a clean and slightly moist tea towel and place in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. Freezing asparagus is also easy: first you should wash the vegetable and cut off the ends. They keep in the freezer for up to eight months. Asparagus does not need to be defrosted, just throw it directly into boiling water.
Green asparagus is very easy to prepare. Peeling is not necessary, just make sure to cut the woody ends approximately two centimetres shorter. Green asparagus can be enjoyed raw but develops its characteristic nutty taste once heated. There are many ways to cook green asparagus. It can be placed in boiling, salted water – for example, in a special asparagus pot – for eight minutes until they are “al dente”. To roast asparagus, use a plant-based oil of your choice, and season appropriately, then bake at 200°C for half an hour. Asparagus can also be prepared by frying for ten to twelve minutes until it develops a tasty roasted flavour.
A classic combination is green asparagus with Gschwellti (boiled potatoes), ham and Hollandaise sauce. There are many more creative ways of cooking the healthy stalks: a baked pasta dish, or roasted on a Mediterranean salad with tomato, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil. Not to mention, the vegetable is amazing pureed for cream of asparagus soup or blended to make asparagus pesto.
Green asparagus excels in both nutrients and taste: it is low-calorie and, because of its low carbohydrate content, is well suited to low-carb diets. It is therefore no surprise that asparagus consists of over 90% water. The rest is full of folic acid – 200 grams of green asparagus covers an adult’s daily intake of folic acid. This vitamin is very important for pregnant women. In addition to this, the asparagusic acid contained in asparagus can stimulate kidney activity but it is also to blame for the characteristic smell of urine after asparagus – the by-products are expelled through the urine and are totally harmless.
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