Asparagus – Super Food of the Month

Recipes:

For about 2500 years people have been cultivating and debating the medicinal effects of Asparagus. All debates aside, this is definitely a Super Food. It is one of the most nutritionally balanced vegetables on the planet. It has a wealth of nutrients and benefits like fiber, very low sodium and low calories. An asparagus spear has less than four calories, no fat or cholesterol less than a milligram of sodium, lots of potassium and folic acid, vitamins A, C, B6, Folacin and Thiamin. It also contains Glutathione (GSH) which is one of the best antioxidants and anti-carcinogens found in the body.

Asparagus can be steamed, sauteed, roasted or eaten raw. You can even cook it in the microwave. You can store it in the refrigerator for two or three days and even freeze it (after blanching) for up to eight months. Canned, it can be kept on the shelf for up to a year.

Cultivation can be a bit tricky as the plants take about three years to mature in sandy, sweet (alkaline) soil. Then you can harvest them for an average of about fifteen years. Most asparagus is grown in northern climes but some types are available for the South as well, though sandy, sweet soil can be hard to come by in the South.

Asparagus is actually a member of the lily family which includes onions, leeks and garlic. White asparagus is merely spears that have been grown in the dark so they don’t for chlorophyll. Purple asparagus is actually a different plant bred for its color but it turns green when cooked. Here’s a hint: the fiber in asparagus is mainly around the outside so the larger stalks are actually more tender than the smaller ones.

Photo Courtesy of California Asparagus Commission © 2010