At first glance, salsify doesn't really seem appetizing with its dark skin. However, when peeled and prepared, the slender roots appear bright white and taste extremely exquisite. To make winter asparagus last longer, you can freeze it. You can find out how to do this here.
How to freeze salsify?
To freeze salsify, first clean and peel them. Then blanch the spears in vinegar water for two minutes and cool them in ice water. Cut the salsify into pieces and freeze them in portions. They last about six months.
Clean and peel salsify
Since there is usually a lot of soil still attached to winter asparagus, you should first scrub the stalks thoroughly with a vegetable brush under running water.
When peeling the salsify, follow these steps:
- Wear an apron and gloves as the milky juice is very sticky and leaves dark stains.
- Peel the skin thinly using a vegetable peeler.
- To do this, hold the rod under running water so that the escaping juice is rinsed off.
- To keep them nice and white, immediately place the peeled salsify in a bowl of cold water to which you add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar.
- Wash kitchen utensils thoroughly immediately after work. If the juice is difficult to wash off, drip some oil onto the stain and wipe it off with a piece of kitchen paper.
Blanching salsify
- Bring a pot of water to the boil with a dash of vinegar.
- Scald winter asparagus in it for about two minutes.
- Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and immediately place them in a bowl of ice water.
Freeze winter asparagus
- Cut the salsify into bite-sized pieces.
- Put these on a tray and put everything in the freezer for a few hours.
- Pour into freezer container. This measure allows the pieces to be removed individually.
- Alternatively, you can divide the vegetables directly into freezer bags and freeze them.
The winter asparagus preserved in this way lasts about six months. The frozen salsify does not need to be thawed before preparation. You can simply put the pieces in boiling water and cook for about fifteen minutes.
Tip
Store the fresh salsify, wrapped in a slightly damp kitchen towel, in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. Here the poles last two to three weeks.
