Apr 26 2009
Asparagus Trimming
We love asparagus – these sprouts are one of our favorite veggies. So here are a few tips for choosing and preparing asparagus.
When buying asparagus, choose ones with firm sprouts and a dark green color throughout most of the stalk. If the cut ends are very pale then the asparagus is unripe – choose another.
Before you cook your asparagus, the cut ends will need to be trimmed to remove the tough, fibrous stalk. To find this boundary between the soft flesh of the asparagus and its tough, inedible stalk, pinch the cut end (stalk) between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand, and lightly pinch the middle of the asparagus in the same manner with the left hand. Slowly bend the asparagus between these two places until it breaks on its own. It will naturally break where
the stalk yields to the edible flesh. Keep the sprouted end and discard the stalk end