I love asparagus but the all too short asparagus season in the UK only runs from Mid April to Mid June so make the most of it!

English Asparagus

Asparagus Tips!

1. Buy & eat as fresh as possible for the best taste
2. You only need to cut off the woody end (many recipes state cut of the ends of the asparagus and I have known people discard the tips! which is the best bit). The best way to know where to cut or break the asparagus is to hold the asparagus with 2 fingers in the middle of the spear and 2 fingers on the woody end and bend, the woody end should just break off perfectly
3. Save these woody ends in a plastic bag in the freezer and by the end of the season you should have a decent pile to make soup from (recipe to follow on this blog)
4. Asparagus is a perennial plant and is not too difficult to grow in your garden or allotment, why not start your own Asparagus bed.   Best to plant your Asparagus crowns in a prepared trench in March/April and only lightly harvest in the first year, then for many years (up to 20) you should have a good crop of homegrown fresh asparagus
5. Don’t overcook, boiled for 10 minutes should be more than enough, either in a frying pan of water with the spears laid flat or tie them into a bundle with garden or butchers string and boil standing upright in a pan then the thicker stems boil whilst the tips just steam!
6. Asparagus is best served warm rather than hot, wrap in a tea towel when removed from the pan and it will dry and keep warm for 20 minutes.