Freezing asparagus and boiling frozen asparagus

First the good news: with a few of our tips and tricks, it’s not at all difficult to freeze asparagus. And you can freeze not just green but also white asparagus in the freezer. In order to get the crunchiest and most aromatic spears, make sure to use the freshest asparagus. You’ll get the finest sorts directly from the weekly market or your nearest asparagus farmer.

Once you’ve found the perfect candidates, it’s time to prepare them for the freezing process. Green asparagus doesn’t have to be peeled, white does. The vegetables must be washed, peeled, patted dry, and their fibrous ends must be removed beforehand. A swivel-bladed peeler is just the tool for the task. You should always start at the tip, peeling downward toward the end. After they’re peeled, you can freeze the vegetables. But remember: they must be raw. Otherwise, make sure to avoid boiling the asparagus before freezing, as this will cause it to lose its firmness and flavour! Consider creating meal-sized portions or chopping some of them in advance, so you don’t have to thaw them all at once. Airtight freezer bags or containers work great for storing your asparagus. You can keep your green or white asparagus for up to twelve months in your Liebherr freezer compartment, so you can have easy access to regional asparagus all year round.

Would you prefer not to freeze all the asparagus straight away, but store some of your raw asparagus? It is important to distinguish between peeled and unpeeled white asparagus. Peeled asparagus can only be stored for a very short time. It should therefore be prepared as quickly as possible. That’s the only way to truly enjoy the wonderful aroma of this popular vegetable. Unpeeled white asparagus is best stored wrapped in a damp tea towel. In your Liebherr fridge, which is ideal for storing vegetables thanks to the BioFresh Fruit & Vegetable safe, you can store asparagus for up to 18 days and keep it fresh. The Fruit & Vegetable safe has high humidity, which keeps the towel moist. Combined with a temperature of just above 0 degrees, your BioFresh safe is therefore an almost ideal place to store asparagus. If you are not storing your asparagus in a BioFresh safe, you should moisten the tea towel regularly.

Even green asparagus stays fresh in your Liebherr BioFresh safe for up to 18 days. If you are not storing green asparagus in a BioFresh safe, it is best to keep it standing upright in a glass of water. Note: the ends of the spears should always remain in water!

Another tip: don’t keep your asparagus next to food that has an intense aroma like garlic and onions or sausage and cheese. Asparagus quickly absorbs the scents of other food.

Asparagus is available in Germany from mid-April. If you find asparagus in supermarkets before then, it is usually imported. Another possibility is that the asparagus was grown in heated fields in Germany. In both cases, we recommend waiting a few more weeks for the more climate-friendly alternative from regional outdoor cultivation. The asparagus season traditionally ends on St. John’s Day, 24 June. In Germany, this day is also known as ‘Spargelsilvester’ (asparagus New Year’s Eve). This defined end date is important so that the plants can recover properly until the following year.

White asparagus tastes best when it is thick but not woody, white in colour, without green tips, and freshly picked. You can tell how fresh it is by its fresh, uncoloured stalk and pleasant smell. Fresh asparagus has little bend and breaks easily. In addition, the heads of fresh asparagus are usually still closed. But you can also do the listening test: rub two asparagus spears together. If you hear a squeaking sound, that means it’s fresh. Asparagus generally contains a lot of water. It stays fresh for only two days at room temperature, but eight days in the fridge compartment. It stays fresh for up to 18 days in a Liebherr BioFresh safe. How quickly you should prepare and enjoy the vegetables depends on how you store them.

An unavoidable by-product in the preparation of white asparagus is the peels. Since it would be a shame to simply chuck them in the bin, we have a couple of tricks for you, And there’s something here for everyone. The classic, of course, is to make asparagus cream soup from the leftovers. The following ingredients make four portions:

• Peels of roughly 1 kg of asparagus
• 1 l water
• 50 g butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• A pinch of sugar and nutmeg
• Some lemon juice
• Optional: cream and cuts of asparagus or asparagus ends

Place the asparagus peels and ends into a pot of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for approximately 20–30 minutes. Remember: the asparagus peels should not cook much longer, as the soup will otherwise become bitter. Afterwards, drain the stock through a sieve and keep it in a separate container. In a second pot, melt the butter for your roux. Mix in the flour bit by bit with a whisk. Add the stock slowly and continue to stir until the soup has a creamy consistency. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste and serve! If desired, you can also add the asparagus cuts and cream. However, you can also use the asparagus stock to make asparagus risotto, for example:

• Boil the asparagus peelings and, if necessary, the asparagus ends for 20–30 minutes
• Drain the stock
• In a second pan, melt the butter/margarine
• Gradually stir in the flour
• Add the stock and stir gradually until creamy
• Optionally, add a little (plant-based) cream and the asparagus ends
• Season to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice