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Post by wrongwayfeldman on Feb 5, 2018 22:45:32 GMT
I absolutely LOVE asparagus, roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper. But I feel like I waste almost half of every spear when I snap off the ends. I just read that you only really need to take off about an inch, then use a vegetable peeler to trim off the thready/woody outer part of the bottom third, leaving behind the more tender inside. When I buy really skinny asparagus, I barely trim off any, but this time of year they're all really thick, and if I don't take off the ends they end up really stringy. Has anyone tried the vegetable peeler method?
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Post by crazy4scraps on Feb 5, 2018 22:49:09 GMT
I won’t buy the really thick woody ones. I only snap off about the bottom inch like you mentioned, and only buy it if the spears are thin.
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Post by burningfeather on Feb 5, 2018 22:50:56 GMT
I'll be interested to see an educated answer to this because I was taught (by who I don't recall, but for SURE not my mom) that you just grab both ends and bend and that it will break naturally at the right place. And I've never used a vegetable peeler to trim anything off.
That said, I haven't gotten any for a while, but the last two times I purchased asparagus (from different places), it was terrible. So woody and stringy that I couldn't even cut through it after it was cooked.
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J u l e e
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Post by J u l e e on Feb 5, 2018 22:57:46 GMT
I'll be interested to see an educated answer to this because I was taught (by who I don't recall, but for SURE not my mom) that you just grab both ends and bend and that it will break naturally at the right place. And I've never used a vegetable peeler to trim anything off. This is what I do. I grab each end and kind of roll the asparagus from the top toward the bottom (if that makes sense) and it snaps off where it should. I've never used a vegetable peeler on asparagus either. |
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Post by bc2ca on Feb 5, 2018 22:58:54 GMT
I'll be interested to see an educated answer to this because I was taught (by who I don't recall, but for SURE not my mom) that you just grab both ends and bend and that it will break naturally at the right place. And I've never used a vegetable peeler to trim anything off. That said, I haven't gotten any for a while, but the last two times I purchased asparagus (from different places), it was terrible. So woody and stringy that I couldn't even cut through it after it was cooked. This is what I was taught and the technique I have always used. Our local Trader Joe's has delicious, super thin asparagus right now. |
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Feb 5, 2018 23:05:13 GMT
I've used the vegetable peeler for broccoli stems before, but never for asparagus. I do the same method of 'snap it where it naturally breaks' which is why I don't like paying more than about $3/lb max for it, because a good amount of it is wasted (when they're the really thick stems).
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Post by bothmykidsrbrats on Feb 5, 2018 23:08:50 GMT
I bend them and let them naturally break as well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2018 23:12:06 GMT
I do the bend and let it find the natural breaking point. I do save the woody ends; boil just them to make an asparagus broth. After boiling for a few minutes remove the stems, add some heavy cream, salt/pepper and a little corn starch to thicken slightly and it makes a nice asparagus soup.
I also keep a bag in the freezer of vegetable ends that I boil to make a vegetable broth/stock so if I don't have enough for a single vegetable soup I toss them in there.
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Post by myshelly on Feb 5, 2018 23:13:31 GMT
I bend them at let it snap naturally, which I find is usually taking about an inch off. That is the point where the stem changes from hard and woody to soft and edible.
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nicolep
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Post by nicolep on Feb 5, 2018 23:15:26 GMT
I'll be interested to see an educated answer to this because I was taught (by who I don't recall, but for SURE not my mom) that you just grab both ends and bend and that it will break naturally at the right place. And I've never used a vegetable peeler to trim anything off. That said, I haven't gotten any for a while, but the last two times I purchased asparagus (from different places), it was terrible. So woody and stringy that I couldn't even cut through it after it was cooked. Yes yes yes. |
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kate
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Post by kate on Feb 5, 2018 23:17:20 GMT
Okay, ladies, sit down and hang on tightly to those pearls.
I cut off my asparagus ends with a knife.
Since I don't buy asparagus unless it's pencil-thin, I just lop off the bottom inch and a half or so, and it's just fine. Rarely do I have a problem with it being too woody. *shrug*
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Feb 5, 2018 23:19:30 GMT
I'll be interested to see an educated answer to this because I was taught (by who I don't recall, but for SURE not my mom) that you just grab both ends and bend and that it will break naturally at the right place. And I've never used a vegetable peeler to trim anything off. That said, I haven't gotten any for a while, but the last two times I purchased asparagus (from different places), it was terrible. So woody and stringy that I couldn't even cut through it after it was cooked. This is what I was taught and the technique I have always used. Our local Trader Joe's has delicious, super thin asparagus right now. That is what my grandmother taught me. I was also taught to buy the very thin ones too! |
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Feb 5, 2018 23:38:06 GMT
Okay, ladies, sit down and hang on tightly to those pearls. I cut off my asparagus ends with a knife. Since I don't buy asparagus unless it's pencil-thin, I just lop off the bottom inch and a half or so, and it's just fine. Rarely do I have a problem with it being too woody. *shrug* No judgment.  I used to trim them that way. Then I read about snapping off the ends. And now I do that because I have a tendency to grab a new knife out of the block for every thing I cut, so sometimes I don't want to grab another knife, and snapping them works just as well. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2018 23:51:25 GMT
I just trim off a bit of the bottom or use a peeler. No sense in wasting any of it.
And always smell the bunch before buying. It should barely have a smell. If it smells like moldy cut grass it has been sitting out too long , pick out another bunch.
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Post by ~summer~ on Feb 5, 2018 23:55:19 GMT
I just use a vegetable peeler to take off some of the tough bottoms.
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Post by alexa11 on Feb 6, 2018 0:19:00 GMT
I cut off my asparagus ends with a knife. Another one who uses a knife and cut most of the stalk away. I waste way more than I eat. |
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valincal
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Southern Alberta
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Post by valincal on Feb 6, 2018 0:20:48 GMT
I cut the bottom inch or two off with a knife. The whole bunch at once, and I don’t peel them.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2018 0:27:26 GMT
I'm also a cutter. I cut off at least an inch. During the warmer months when we get yard waste pick up, I toss the ends into that bin.
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Post by anniefb on Feb 6, 2018 0:34:34 GMT
I'll be interested to see an educated answer to this because I was taught (by who I don't recall, but for SURE not my mom) that you just grab both ends and bend and that it will break naturally at the right place. And I've never used a vegetable peeler to trim anything off. This is what I do as well. |
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Post by jemmls4 on Feb 6, 2018 0:37:54 GMT
I was taught (by who I don't recall, but for SURE not my mom) that you just grab both ends and bend and that it will break naturally at the right place. And I've never used a vegetable peeler to trim anything off. This is what we do. |
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Post by librarylady on Feb 6, 2018 0:55:14 GMT
I'll be interested to see an educated answer to this because I was taught (by who I don't recall, but for SURE not my mom) that you just grab both ends and bend and that it will break naturally at the right place. And I've never used a vegetable peeler to trim anything off. This is what I do. I grab each end and kind of roll the asparagus from the top toward the bottom (if that makes sense) and it snaps off where it should. I've never used a vegetable peeler on asparagus either.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2018 1:06:13 GMT
I take one asparagus, bend both ends and after the end snaps off, I line up the rest of the bunch and cut the ends off where the single spear broke.
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Post by annabella on Feb 6, 2018 1:15:10 GMT
I snap off one inch from the bottom, it seems to naturally break there.
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cindosha
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Post by cindosha on Feb 6, 2018 1:16:47 GMT
I’m a peeler for the thick ones. I hate to waste any of that goodness.
Cindy
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2018 1:22:45 GMT
Natural breaker-offer here, too.
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Post by txdancermom on Feb 6, 2018 2:56:27 GMT
my grandmothers always told me it will break off where it is no longer tender. If you bend it toward the bottom quarter of the spear it will naturally break off at some point. I also prefer the thinner spears
and yes it does seem wasteful, but once I tried going further down, and the bottom was not good.
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Post by compwalla on Feb 6, 2018 3:32:01 GMT
Wherever they snap off the plant when I pick them. Our house came with about 25 mature asparagus plants so for a short time we're flooded with it. It's a little early for it here; should start end of March to really come in well if it doesn't turn cold again.
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Loydene
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Post by Loydene on Feb 6, 2018 3:35:10 GMT
I snap them "naturally" ... and sometimes use a peeler. While I love asparagus, I don't like those little bits on the sides!
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Post by crazy4scraps on Feb 6, 2018 3:35:31 GMT
Okay, ladies, sit down and hang on tightly to those pearls. I cut off my asparagus ends with a knife. Since I don't buy asparagus unless it's pencil-thin, I just lop off the bottom inch and a half or so, and it's just fine. Rarely do I have a problem with it being too woody. *shrug* You rebel you!  |
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Post by pjaye on Feb 6, 2018 3:39:51 GMT
The other option is to just trim off a small amount at the bottom, then cook, and when you are eating it...just stop when it when it gets to the woody part.
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I used to trim them that way. Then I read about snapping off the ends. And now I do that because I have a tendency to grab a new knife out of the block for every thing I cut, so sometimes I don't want to grab another knife, and snapping them works just as well. 
