It's finally that time again: the crunchy, green sticks are piling up in the supermarkets, waiting to be wrapped in ham or bathed in béchamel sauce. If only it weren't for the tedious task of peeling before enjoying! You may know this from white asparagus, the most popular variety in Germany. But is this also necessary for green asparagus? Although this is only second in popularity in this country, it is a lot ahead of its white relatives in terms of preparation.

Green asparagus is best washed under running water

Do green asparagus have to be peeled?

In contrast to white asparagus, you can eat the skin of green asparagus with confidence. Since it grows on the surface of the earth, it is not as woody, but pleasantly soft. It is particularly advisable not to clean green asparagus before eating them, as the peel in particular contains many healthy ingredients.

What needs to be removed?

Only the lower third could be a bit hardened and affect the taste. If the root end is still white, it has not received enough sunlight and should therefore be cut off.

manual

If you still want to clean your green asparagus, it is best to use a vegetable peeler or a sharp paring knife. How to proceed:

  1. wash the asparagus under running water
  2. pat the sticks dry in a tea towel
  3. peel from the top down
  4. do not apply too much pressure to get as much of the asparagus as possible
  5. now remove leftover “eyes”
  6. at the end, cut off the woody end about 3 cm

Break asparagus - the simplest way to prepare

You can also easily break really fresh green asparagus. In doing so, remove the lower end. You don't have to use a sense of proportion, as the hard stalk cannot be broken. So you automatically only get the edible part.

Tips for shopping

As already mentioned, you should always buy your green asparagus fresh. The sooner you use it, the less you have to cut off the woody end. Use seasonal and regional products whenever possible. Then you can be sure that no fertilizers have been used and that the asparagus has just ripened in the sun. With organic goods, the enjoyment including the bowl is completely harmless.

Use asparagus shells

After you have cleaned your green asparagus, you should not throw away the peel. It can be optimally boiled up into a delicious brew that serves as the basis for soups or sauces.

Category:

Vegetable garden