Callisto in NC
Washing Up
By "frozen in the field" did he mean on purpose or naturally because of the harsh weather we are having this year? Fresh produce should never be frozen in the field unless it's done by nature.
Asparagus Debacle
- Thread starter SharonT
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
bethzaring
Master Chef
That is the first thing I have read here that makes any sense. If it was frozen in the field, it would have turned a darker green than normal. Did you notice it being a dark green? Freezing definitely will make it cook faster than normal.
I also store my asparagus in a container in water the fridge. But in the 35 years I have been raising and storing asparagus, it has never "grown" after it was harvested
OP
OP
SharonT
Sous Chef
Yes... adverse weather or a sudden cold snap or something. I don't know where the asparagus I bought was grown.
I would have to assume that "frozen in the field" refers to an act of Mother Nature - same thing happens with citrus trees in Florida some times.
Vegetables destined for freezing are, in every instance I know of, harvested, quickly trucked to a processing facility where they are blanched and then frozen.
OP
OP
SharonT
Sous Chef
You know, I didn't notice it being darker before it was cooked, but it was uncommonly dark green after cooking... an uncommonly dark green, slimy mess.
bethzaring
Master Chef
asparagus is prone to being frozen in the field. Mine started growing about 3 weeks ago and for the past three nights we have had below freezing temperatures. I covered my asparagus spears. If I had not covered them, they would have frozen.
Callisto in NC
Washing Up
With the weather we've had across the country, this would make sense that it happened but the grower didn't want to dump the crop. We have gotten great runs of nice weather and then unexplained freezes since January. It's got to be hard to grow in those conditions.
johnthecooker
Assistant Cook
Limp/soft asparagus
I put the veg in a pot or fry pan in enough cold water to actually cook part of it in water and part in steam. Cover, put on high heat and when the steam gets going out of the lidded pot, remove from the heat. Can be held for a while without getting too soft. We do like ours aldenti and we like it with home made garlic mayo. Also make soup out of the cooking water, the broken off ends. All cooked and then blended and strained, chicken or duck stock, a bit of rue, salt and pepper, nutmeg and cream. More cut up asparagus in the soup if needed/wanted.
I put the veg in a pot or fry pan in enough cold water to actually cook part of it in water and part in steam. Cover, put on high heat and when the steam gets going out of the lidded pot, remove from the heat. Can be held for a while without getting too soft. We do like ours aldenti and we like it with home made garlic mayo. Also make soup out of the cooking water, the broken off ends. All cooked and then blended and strained, chicken or duck stock, a bit of rue, salt and pepper, nutmeg and cream. More cut up asparagus in the soup if needed/wanted.
JohnL
Head Chef
That's a great idea for the cooking water. I felt guilty the last time I dumped the water that I blanched asparagus in down the drain.
