It's finally that time again: crunchy, green sticks are piling up in the supermarkets, waiting to be wrapped in ham or bathed in bechamel sauce. If only there wasn't the tedious task of peeling before enjoying it! You may know this from white asparagus, the most popular variety in Germany. But is this also necessary for green asparagus? Although this is only in second place on the popularity scale in this country, it is a lot ahead of its white relative in terms of preparation.
Do you have to clean green asparagus?
Cleaning green asparagus is not absolutely necessary as the peel is soft and edible. Only the lower third may be hardened and tasteless. Here it is recommended to cut off or break off the woody end by about 3 cm.
Does green asparagus need to be peeled?
Unlike white asparagus, you can safely eat the peel of green asparagus. Since it grows on the surface of the earth, it is not so woody, but rather pleasantly soft. It is particularly recommended not to clean green asparagus before eating it, as the peel contains many he althy ingredients.
What needs to be removed?
Only the lower third could be a little hardened and affect the taste. If the root base is still white in color, it has not received enough sunlight and should therefore be cut off.
Instructions
If you still want to clean your green asparagus, it is best to use a peeler or a sharp vegetable knife. How to proceed:
- wash the asparagus under running water
- pat the bars dry in a tea towel
- peel from tip down
- do not apply too much pressure to get as much of the asparagus as possible
- Now remove any remaining “eyes”
- At the end, cut off the woody end about 3 cm
Breaking asparagus - the easiest way to prepare it
You can also easily break really fresh green asparagus. In doing so, remove the lower end. You don't have to use any sense of proportion because the hard stem cannot be broken. This way you automatically only get the edible part.
Shopping tips
As already mentioned, you should always buy your green asparagus fresh. The sooner you use it, the less you have to cut off the woody end. If possible, choose seasonal and regional products. Then you can be sure that no fertilizers were used and that the asparagus ripened fresh in the sun. When it comes to organic products, it is completely harmless to enjoy it with the peel on it.
Use asparagus peels
After you have cleaned your green asparagus, you should not throw away the peel. It can be optimally boiled into a delicious stock that serves as a basis for soups or sauces.
