The season for good fresh asparagus is as short as a summer camp romance. For a brief window of time, the price drops dramatically. Have you ever wondered can you freeze asparagus? The answer is YES, and it's quick and easy.
Three weeks ago, I thought about buying some asparagus for dinner, but it was $6.99 a pound, so I decided to wait. Last week, I bought some for Easter dinner because it was on sale for $1.99 a pound!
Some vegetables, like onions and spinach, can be frozen without blanching, but asparagus requires one fast, easy step for the best quality. Before freezing, you must blanch it very quickly in boiling water. This process is so simple and quick that I hope I can convince you it's worth it!
Blanching asparagus for freezing involves briefly immersing it in boiling water, followed by a quick bath in ice water. This technique helps to preserve the color, flavor, and texture by stopping enzyme activity that can cause deterioration. After blanching, the stalks are patted dry and frozen for long-term storage.
Wash the asparagus under cold running water. Next, snap off the woody stem ends. The magic is when you bend the stalk, it will naturally snap at precisely the spot where it turns from tough to tender.
Gather some clean dishtowels to drain and dry your asparagus when it's all done cooking and cooling. I love having a big, fluffy pile of absorbent, plain white flour sack-type towels for jobs like this. I buy them in bundles of 10 at Walmart, and they're great for so many jobs around the whole house!
Before preparing the asparagus, put a pot of water on the boil. I used my LeCrueset Dutch oven because it's wide enough for the asparagus to fit. If you're doing a big batch, you can use a knife to cut the stalks into even lengths, but I suggest you snap a few by hand to determine where the natural breaking point is.
(Someday, when life isn't so rushed, I'm going to save the tough ends, peel them, pressure cook them, and make cream of asparagus soup, a childhood favorite. (I know, right? I was a weird kid.)
Now put water and ice into a big bowl so it's ready when the asparagus comes out of the boiling water. When I buy asparagus at the grocery store, the stalks are uniform in size. Most of the time, they are about 1/2 inch in diameter.
Stalks this size need to be immersed in boiling water for about three minutes. Skinny spears will take about two minutes, and stalks larger than one-half inch should be blanched for four minutes. Set a timer!
Now you're all set up for a quick job of freezing asparagus!
Put asparagus in boiling water and set a timer.
Quickly remove the asparagus with tongs from the boiling water bath and put it into the ice bath. The cooling time is about the same as the cooking time.
Add ice if needed. Here's a picture of my simple setup. The entire process went fast.
Remove the asparagus from the ice bath and drain on absorbent towels. Blot any excess water off the stalks; they should be fairly dry before going into the freezer.
Cover rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and lay the stalks out in rows, keeping them fairly separate. The drier stalks are helpful here because they are unlikely to stick together.
Put the asparagus in the freezer uncovered for two hours or until the stalks are frozen hard. Store in freezer bags or vacuum-sealed bags. When treated this way, your frozen asparagus will last up to a year and be in good shape!
To cook frozen asparagus, thaw it first and blot it dry. Then you can roast it, stir fry it, boil it, steam it, saute it, or add it to salads or pasta dishes just like you'd use it fresh! For the best texture and flavor, cook asparagus briefly to keep it crisp.
Here's how to freeze fresh asparagus when it is abundant and the prices are low!
* Skinny stalks blanch for two minutes; thick ones over 1/2" in diameter, blanch for four minutes.
I love asparagus any way it's served. 😋 This is my favorite way to cook fresh asparagus, and here's my favorite asparagus brunch casserole recipe with hard-cooked eggs and cheese!
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