How to Choose Asparagus

Have you thought about buying asparagus, but passed it up because you didn’t know how to pick the “good” asparagus? Check out these three easy tips for choosing asparagus, and you’ll get the good ones every time!

How to Choose Asparagus

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Asparagus is weird, right? It looks like this weird tree, it’s standing up in a bin on the produce shelves, and it’s wrapped up in rubber bands. What the heck? How do you know if it’s good? Which ones do you choose? How do you know? And what comes next?

Don’t worry – we’re here to help!

Asparagus isn’t quite as easy to pick out as say, a bag of carrots or an apple. But if you look for these few things, you’ll get fresh asparagus every time!

1. Look for asparagus stalks that are bright green and firm. If the stalks are starting to look floppy, pass on that bunch.
2. Look at the tips of the asparagus spears. The leaves should be dry, firm, and held tightly against the stalk. If the leaves are starting to fall off or are wet, don’t get those.
3. Look at the size of the stalks. Thinner asparagus stalks will be more tender. Thicker stalks will be chewier, might be a little stringy, and sometimes have a “woody” texture.

You want asparagus that looks like the ones in the photo below:

So now that you’ve picked out the perfect asparagus, what do you do with it? Check out this post for some simple tips for storing asparagus to keep it fresh at home. Then check out this post for some simple tips on washing asparagus and getting it ready to cook. Then go enjoy some fresh asparagus!

If you’re wondering when asparagus comes into season, check out this post and download a handy free printable!

Enjoy!

3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of Your Kitchen

• How to Store Asparagus
• How to Store Fresh Produce
• What’s the Difference Between Fruits & Vegetables?

3 Recipes to Try

• Easy Roasted Asparagus
• One-Dish Kielbasa, Asparagus, & Rice
• Baked Eggs & Asparagus – from These Old Cookbooks