At first glance, black salsify does not look particularly appetizing with its dark skin. Peeled and prepared, however, the slender roots are bright white and taste extremely exquisite. To make the winter asparagus last longer, you can freeze it. Find out how here.
Black salsify should be blanched before freezing
Clean and peel salsify
Since there is usually still a lot of soil adhering to winter asparagus, you should first scrub the spears thoroughly under running water with a vegetable brush.
Proceed as follows when peeling the salsify:
- Wear an apron and gloves as the milky sap is very sticky and leaves dark stains.
- Thinly peel off the skin with a vegetable peeler.
- To do this, hold the rod under running water so that the escaping juice is rinsed off.
- To keep them nice and white, immediately place the peeled salsify in a bowl of cold water with a dash of lemon juice or vinegar.
- Rinse kitchen utensils thoroughly immediately after work. If the sap is difficult to wash off, drip some oil onto the stain and wipe off with a piece of kitchen paper.
Blanch salsify
- Bring a pot of water to a boil with a dash of vinegar.
- Blanch the winter asparagus in it for about two minutes.
- Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and place immediately in a bowl of ice water.
Freeze winter asparagus
- Cut the salsify into bite-sized pieces.
- Put them on a tray and put them in the freezer for a few hours.
- Pour into freezer containers. By this measure, the pieces can be removed individually.
- Alternatively, you can divide the vegetables directly into freezer bags and freeze them.
Winter asparagus preserved in this way will keep for about six months. The frozen salsify does not need to be thawed before preparation. You can simply put the pieces in boiling water and cook for about fifteen minutes.
tips
Store the fresh black salsify, wrapped in a slightly damp kitchen towel, in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. The poles last two to three weeks here.