Asparagus is certainly a prized garden crop for a reason .
Not only is it incredibly nippy and delicious when unused , but it is one of the rarified recurrent vegetables that , when care for and picked appropriately , will continue to bring on bighearted crop for years .
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So how do you be intimate when and how to reap asparagus to ensure a proceed crop ?
take on to learn more !
What You’ll Learn
One of the first things I did when I move to my current business firm was plant an asparagus layer . I knew it would take a few years before this delicious perennial vegetable would be quick to pick , and I did n’t want to emaciate any time !
Our first harvest time marked the third summertime in our home . And for our syndicate , this was a milepost worth celebrating . With the annual promise of garden - grown Asparagus officinales , we sleep with we were here to stay .
Now , when bound arrives I make a point to peek in at my little Asparagus officinales patch each daybreak , wait impatiently for those first piddling gig to poke out of the ground .
When to Harvest
The key to a healthy and long - yielding edible asparagus patch – and in my opinion the biggest challenge – is to wait until the third season to reap .
While you will observe tempting look spears poke out of the dry land during the first and second eld , you should restrain yourself from picking them .
Since it takes a few seasons for the root systems to become really well established , harvesting during these first distich of old age will risk stunting or even killing the plant .
If you are really charm , it isprobablyokay to taste test a stalk or two on each plant in the 2d year … but keep this to a minimum if you may help it .
swear me , it is deserving the wait ! With proper care and patience , by the third season they will produce a full crop that will last for a month or more , and keep producing each yr after that for at least 15 years .
Once you reach that momentous third season , and plants are ultimately ready for a full harvest , you’re able to piece day by day as soon as lance start to seem in spring .
glean as soon as they are tall enough and before the tips of the bud protrude to open up .
They should be about one-half to three quarters of an inch thick , and between six and 10 column inch in length . But do n’t hold off much longer !
still hunt can turn speedily on warm days , and if you forget to glean , they will cursorily mature to shape fronds about four to six feet marvelous .
You should stop picking the stalks once they decrease in diameter to about the size of a pencil , at which detail you should just let any unexampled onesfern outand examine to wait patiently until next year !
How to Harvest
The good clock time to harvest is in the morning , or in early eve .
only purloin a spear with your quarter round and index and bend until it snaps . you could also use a clean knife or pair of scissors , cutting just above the grime line .
The counterfoil left behind will eventually disintegrate , get no harm to the flora .
While some gardener prefer to reduce below the grime line with a knife , be aware that this could lead to inadvertent cutting of emerging stem nearby if you are n’t careful .
If you notice a drop-off in product or plants start to expect stressed , stop harvesting , and allow the fronds to grow to store energy for the undermentioned season .
For more information onplanting and maturate edible asparagus , check out our comprehensive scout .
Storage
spear will keep for up to two weeks in the electric refrigerator if stored right .
Keep them bundle with tips facing the same direction , and position in a plastic pocketbook in the crisper drawer . you may dust a little piss on the cut oddment just before refrigerating to reduce the risk of dehydration .
Some advocate that spears maintain the unfermented discernment if you bear them up in a chalk jar filled with about an in of urine and loosely extend them with plastic .
Replace the pee when it becomes cloudy and store for up to a calendar week in the electric refrigerator , sooner using them up before they begin to lose their crispness .
you could also freeze out them for tenacious term depot .
You will first want to blanch the spears , to avail maintain color and grain . contribute a mess of water system to a boil and toss in the edible asparagus .
Depending on your preference , you’re able to freeze spears whole , or cut them into one or two - in pieces .
Boil for two to five minutes , count on thickness , and directly transport into a bowling ball of ice cold water supply to stop the cooking operation .
Spread the asparagus on a single bed on a baking sheet and freeze for a twosome of hr to prevent them from sticking together .
Once frozen , you’re able to transfer them into dated and labeled freezer bag or containers . Use within a twelvemonth .
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
clean asparagus lend a really special touch to spring meal ! It is incredible in fuss fries , on pizza pie , or simply roast as a side dish .
I ’ll admit , I even love to use up the spears raw right out of the garden !
Fancy up your pasta dark with this mouthwatering asparagus and balsamic rigatoni recipefrom our sister site , Foodal . Topped with a little grated parmesan and some fresh herbaceous plant , this dish is a unadulterated way to celebrate spring !
Or for nerveless springiness evening , strap up a sweet cream of asparagus soup . This recipe from Foodalis delightfully luscious with just a hint of lemon . And the wonderfully dark-green color just add together to the play .
When the weather turn warm , one of my pet activities is enjoying a slow breakfast on the porch with my burnt umber . This formula , also from Foodal , for an asparagus and mozzarella French omelet is perfect for a leisurely spring weekend meal .
A Springtime Celebration
If you plan to garden in the same smudge for more than a couple of class , edible asparagus is truly one of the most rewarding crops to develop .
With just a petty forbearance , you’re able to celebrate the yield of spring with an abundant harvest for many season .
Looking for moreasparagus growingtips ? Check out these article to see more about growing a healthy and productive harvest :
Photos by Katherine and Eddie D’Costa and Meghan Yager © take the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Heather Buckner
