Asparagus is probably a bit less widespread vegetable comparing to the cabbage or potatoes, but it is still often used in many different dishes and it is very tasty when properly cooked!
Want to know how to keep asparagus fresh longer and enjoy this healthy product? Find the answer below!
All You Need to Know About Asparagus Shelf Life
If you have ever bought asparagus, you could probably notice such a thing: the longer you keep it in the fridge the dryer it becomes. Gradually, you have to cut off the dried ends of the sprouts more and more so that in the end there is almost nothing left to eat for yourself!
Sounds similar, eh?
That is why many people think that keeping asparagus fresh is a big deal. But it’s not! In fact, when being aware of the specifics that the storage process of this vegetable has, it is possible to save your asparagus from drying.
So what are the most frequent questions you may have regarding this asparagus keeping issue?
- How long does asparagus last in the fridge?
Raw asparagus, if being stored properly, can remain fresh and eatable for three or four days in the fridge.
- How long is asparagus good for?
Fresh asparagus can last for three or four days if you will keep it under the correct conditions. To prolong the duration of its life, you can wrap its bottom part with a wet paper towel and cover the sprouts with a plastic bag. It will add the vegetable two or three days more.
- What about the freezer?
When being frozen, asparagus will remain possible to use for one year or a year and a half after you froze it.
- How long does cooked asparagus last?
After you cook asparagus (no matter whether you will boil it or fry), you can preserve it in the fridge for up to five days. In case you store the cooked asparagus in the freezer, its expiration date will come in one year.
Lifehacks for how to store fresh asparagus
Many people notice that the fresh asparagus tends to dry fast after being placed in the fridge.
If you wouldn’t like to throw away almost fresh vegetables, pay attention to how to preserve asparagus when it is still fresh and crispy.
- To keep its green crispy sprouts fresh, wrap the bottom part of your asparagus with a damp paper towel right after you brought it home from the store. It will save the vegetable from drying out.
- It is better to keep asparagus covered in a plastic bag to reduce the effect of dry and cool air in the fridge, as well as other odors and bacteria in it.
These tips will allow you to preserve asparagus stalks fresh longer and enjoy its crispness and fresh taste.
How Do You Store Asparagus In The Fridge?
To avoid the ruination of this green and crispy vegetable, pay attention to the several easy but very useful tips that will allow you to prolong the asparagus fridge life.
| Storing fresh asparagus |
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| Frozen asparagus |
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| Cooked asparagus |
This method is good for steamed, blanched, roasted or sauteed asparagus. Boiled vegetables are too soft to refrigerate or freeze them.
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How to Freeze Asparagus to Keep It Fresh
If it so happened that you have too much of asparagus at home and you are not able to use it all at once, the best way to store asparagus in such a case will be to freeze it.
Nevertheless, to make everything right and avoid ruining the vegetables, we recommend you ad here to the following advice of storing asparagus.
- After you bought fresh asparagus in a store and brought it home, wash the stalks carefully. Make sure all the dirt is deleted.
- Remove the scales from the stalks using a knife.
- Cut asparagus into equal pieces.
- Now it’s time to blanch it. Just put the asparagus bits into the boiling water for several minutes (three to five will be enough) and then coll in cold water immediately.
- Drain it well, put in the airtight box or any other container of this kind and freeze at once.
It’s done now! Your asparagus will now get frozen to serve you longer at the table!
How to Tell If Asparagus Is Bad? Emergency Actions
What if, despite all your efforts, your asparagus turned bad? And is it possible to define whether it is already spoiled by its looks? Let’s figure this out.
So, when is asparagus bad? Asparagus will definitely become spoiled if it was being kept under improper conditions which include too high or too low temperature, storage at room temperature, lack of moisture, and many others. Also, it could happen that you already bought a partly spoiled vegetable.
How to tell if asparagus turned bad in the fridge?
- Touch it. If it’s soft, then most likely it is already spoiled.
- Bad asparagus will change its color so if you see some pale or dark spots on the sprouts, it’s not good.
- If its tips turned dark, then your asparagus has turned to the dark side of the Force!
Whenever you notice any of these signs, it’s better to throw that vegetable away as it can’t be saved anymore.
These simple but useful practical tips and methods will allow you to keep the asparagus fresh and crispy longer and enjoy its taste with pleasure!
