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Asparagus is a herbaceous plant of the asparagus family. Asparagus looks like Christmas trees with soft needles. In cooking, chefs call asparagus young shoots asparagus.
Other parts of the plant are unsuitable for food. Some people think that asparagus is a string bean. However, this is a legume plant that has nothing to do with real asparagus.
There are three types of asparagus: white, green, and purple.
Chefs consider white asparagus a delicacy. The harvest of this species falls in March-June. You can harvest green asparagus for a whole year. In this variety of asparagus, a lot of chlorophyll accumulates, which turns the shoots green. These shoots have a brighter taste than the white ones.
You can hardly easily find purple asparagus on the store counter. To maintain a dark color, this plant requires complete darkness.
Chemical composition
Asparagus is a healthy and low-calorie product. Special attention should be paid to it by those who monitor their weight and nutrition because asparagus consists of almost 90% water. It contains:
- carbohydrates
- proteins
- vitamins
- minerals
- saponins
- coumarins
- organic acids
- phytosterols
This plant contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. Experts believe that purple asparagus is the most beneficial. Green asparagus will also be suitable, but white contains very few substances.
Asparagus is a source of inulin polysaccharide, which has a sugar-lowering effect. Another significant element is aspartic acid, which improves nervous activity and lowers blood pressure.
An unusual vitamin contained in asparagus – U (helps treat stomach ulcers). It also consists of vitamin K (more than 35%), vitamin C (20-22%), beta-carotene (more than 10%), lutein, and zeaxanthin (more than 12%).
Health benefits
In most cases, asparagus is valuable for the human body. Regular consumption of vegetables helps:
- reduce blood pressure
- normalize heart rate
- reduce cholesterol
- enhance diuretic effect
- stimulate bowel function
- heal erosions and ulcers
- improve food digestion
- remove toxins and toxins
- reduce the concentration of glucose in the blood
Asparagus has a special effect on the work of the brain. It helps:
- stimulate blood circulation
- restore nerve endings
- improve the conduction of nerve impulses
- promote thought processes
- relieve fatigue
Who benefits from eating asparagus?
- in childhood and adolescence
- during pregnancy
- after diseases and operations
- with intense physical activity
- during the period of increased brain activity
Possible contraindications
Almost all products are contraindicated for someone. Asparagus can also be harmful to some people. The plant has high allergenicity, so allergy sufferers should avoid eating it.
Asparagus stimulates the secretion of digestive juices, so it is better for people with stomach diseases to refrain from eating the product. Also, a negative reaction to asparagus can give the human body an ulcer and urolithiasis.
The use of asparagus in medicine
Asparagus is famous for its medicinal properties. Experts do not use asparagus in the usual form, just extract the necessary healing properties from vegetables and plants.
Asparagine, for example, reduces blood pressure and slows down the rhythm of the heartbeat.
In the pharmacy, everyone can find some drugs containing asparagine. Asparagus preparations are good for gout, kidney, and bladder diseases. Asparagus is an effective dietary product. Due to the low-calorie content and high vitamin content, asparagus has become a part of any diet.
The use of asparagus in cooking
You can eat asparagus in two types: raw and after heat treatment. Cook the vegetables for a short time to preserve their elasticity and taste. You can add asparagus to a salad, soup, or eat it as a snack.
Certain types of asparagus, it is customary to preserve (white). How to prepare the product: peel the shoots, cut off the lower part of the sprout. The tops of asparagus are great for eating. It is soft and gentle.
How to choose and store asparagus
First, you need to understand the three possible types of asparagus and the differences between them. White asparagus has no color, as it grows deep in the ground.
Shoots do not receive sunlight, and the color of asparagus does not become saturated. White asparagus is a delicacy. The product is more dense, suitable for pickling.
The most common type is green asparagus. You can eat it both fresh and canned. The rarest species is purple asparagus. It is not very tasty, because the stems are quite bitter.
When buying any asparagus, check the composition of the marinade for the presence of preservatives.
When buying asparagus, pay attention to:
- the length of the sprout should not exceed 15 cm.
- the shoots should be dense the
- stems should be clean the
- asparagus should be odorless
- in cross-section, the sprouts should be rounded
How long does pickled asparagus last in the fridge?
A refrigerator is the best place to store asparagus. The temperature should be approximately 5 degrees. Asparagus stalks may dry out, so wrap them with a moistened cloth. If you want to remove plaque, use salt.
To freeze vegetables for the winter – cut them into cubes, sprinkle them with salt, and put them in plastic containers.
Another way to store asparagus in the refrigerator is in a container with water. Refresh the places of the cut stems and place them in water.
Change the water every day, so the bacteria will not multiply and the asparagus will be able to survive longer.
Do you have to blanch asparagus before pickling?
Blanching is a method of cooking, where the product is first boiled in boiling water, and then immediately cooled in ice water. This method is perfect for cooking asparagus — it allows you to preserve the taste, texture, and color of the product.
Blanched asparagus can be immediately used for food or stored: in the refrigerator — 3-5 days, and the freezer – up to one year.
Step-by-step instructions for pickling:
- Rinse the asparagus with cool water to remove dirt from its surface. Hold the stems in cool water for 10-30 seconds.
- Cut off the tips of the stems. Remove the thick lower part of the stems. Only delicious shoots should remain.
- Put a pot of water on high heat and bring to a boil.
- Add salt to the water, it will help to make the taste of asparagus more pronounced.
- Put the asparagus in water after boiling and cook for 4 minutes.
- Remove the asparagus from the water and place it in ice water for about 3 minutes.
What is the best way to preserve asparagus?
Storing asparagus is a rather complicated process. It’s not enough to take the vegetables and put them in the refrigerator. Before storing, be sure to cut the roots and dip the stems in water.
Next, place the asparagus in the refrigerator. In this form, the product will not be able to be stored for a year, but it will be fresh for a couple of weeks.
Another way is to wrap the asparagus sprouts in a damp cloth. It will also keep well for a couple of weeks. You can also divide asparagus into several parts, cool each portion, and pack it in foil. So asparagus can also lie in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
The most effective way is to burn the cut places with a lighter:
Take a wooden box, fill it with charcoal.
Wrap the asparagus with silk paper and put it in a drawer.
Sprinkle the asparagus with charcoal on top, too. It is better to take dry coal.
Can you eat raw asparagus?
Most often, asparagus is sold in pickled form. In cafes and restaurants, fresh produce can be found only as a decoration for certain dishes. So is it possible to eat asparagus raw?
Experts say that raw asparagus contains more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. You don’t have to cook it or buy it in the store. However, cooking asparagus also brings some benefits: a vegetable dietary fiber of asparagus.
Some cooks disagree with this opinion because, with proper preparation, raw asparagus will be soft and tender.
The main thing is to remove the woody ends of the shoots before cooking. Cut the asparagus into small pieces. So it will be easier to chew them.
Make a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice for raw asparagus.
Is pickled asparagus good for you?
The caloric content of pickled asparagus is 15 kcal per 100 grams of the product. This product contains vitamins C, PP, B6, as well as the substance asparagine.
Pickled asparagus also consists of many minerals: phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, calcium.
Pickled asparagus has some beneficial properties. The product helps to normalize blood pressure and improves heart function. Pickled asparagus is well suited in the preparation of dietary nutrition because there are almost no calories in it.
People with such diseases should avoid eating pickled asparagus: diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, prostatitis, cystitis, and rheumatism.
Pickling asparagus without sugar
The best option to cook asparagus without using sugar is to add spices. For example, you can cook asparagus in Korean. Asparagus in Korean consists of the soy product fuji.
Fuji is a soy semi-finished product, which is obtained from the foam formed during the slow languor of soy milk.
Ingredients:
- Soy asparagus – 200 g
- Garlic – 5 cloves
- Vegetable oil – 6 tbsp
- Vinegar – 1 tbsp
- Salt – 1 tbsp
- Soy sauce – 2 tbsp
- Sugar – 0.5 tbsp
- Red and black pepper – to taste
Cooking instructions:
- Prepare soy asparagus. Soak the semi-finished product in cold water for a day.
- After a day, the asparagus will swell, then you can use it for cooking.
- Cut the asparagus into pieces.
- Make a marinade – mix the peeled garlic with sugar, salt, vinegar, vegetable oil, and soy sauce.
- Pour the marinade over the asparagus, sprinkle with pepper, mix.
- Cover the vessel with a lid and refrigerate for 10 hours.
How to pickle asparagus without canning
Pickling products is a long process. It requires effort and time.
There is another easier option to replace the marinade. Let’s turn to the Asians who came up with a quick way to marinate asparagus. You will need to do the following:
- Prepare fuji (you can buy in any themed store). To do this, break the long fuji sticks into smaller ones.
- Fill with water and leave for 6-8 hours. If we are talking about pickling, then asparagus should be well soaked in water and become soft. If you want to speed up the process, pour boiling water over the asparagus. To soak the asparagus evenly, cover it with something heavy.
- Drain the water, finely chop the asparagus (2-3 cm piece).
- Make the marinade. Mix vinegar, water, vegetable oil, and spices in a bowl.
- Place the asparagus in the dressing for 30 minutes.
Refrigerator pickled asparagus recipe
Another option is cooking pickled asparagus in the refrigerator. To do this, prepare the following ingredients:
- onion (small) – 1 pc
- garlic – 4 cloves
- soy asparagus – 250 gr
- olive oil – 2 tbsp
- vinegar 9% – 3 tbsp
- salt – 1 tbsp
- brown sugar (can be white) – 1 tbsp
- pepper mixture – 1/4 tbsp
Step-by-step cooking instructions:
- Prepare all the necessary products.
- Put the asparagus on a plate, pour boiling water, and leave for 2 hours.
- Drain the water into a glass.
- Cut the asparagus into small pieces.
- Prepare the marinade – mix salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, and olive oil.
- Peel and chop the onion, add it to the asparagus.
- Add the marinade to the asparagus and onion, mix thoroughly.
- Next, add the liquid drained from the asparagus to the mixture.
- Cover the plate with a lid and place it in the refrigerator for one day.
Closing
Asparagus is a delicious and healthy product. You can use the product both raw and pickled. Canned asparagus from the store can be harmful to the body due to preservatives and additives.
There is a good alternative – to cook pickled asparagus yourself. It won’t take you much time and effort.
When choosing between three different types of asparagus, give preference to green asparagus. It is delicious, soft, and healthy. White asparagus, considered a delicacy, does not have such properties.
Purple asparagus is quite hard to find in stores, but it is also delicious.