Asparagus, The Great!
Asparagus. Doesn’t the name just scream Greek God? Well, its name actually was derived from the Greek word “Shoot”, so that may be why. I’m sure some of you are thinking it’s far from a God. Maybe you’ve tried it in the past and thought it to have a disagreeable taste, or maybe you’ve experienced the odd “urine smell” after consuming. However, when prepared properly, it can have a delectable, refreshing taste with an enjoyable outside crunch, yet juicy and tender on the inside. Just know, that this springtime veggie has lots of nutritional health benefits and worth a try.
My favorite way to cook this tall, slender vegetable is by roasting in the oven with a little olive oil and parmesan cheese.
Let’s begin!
I grew up out in the country of Piedmont, North Carolina. As early as I can remember, we had patches of asparagus growing in our yard and field out back. We always knew to mow around them, and every springtime they would harvest beautiful, hardy, green and purple stalks. My mom would snip them off and bring in to cook. If memory serves me right, she boiled them…which was not my favorite flavor for asparagus, but I didn’t hate them. Over the years, I’ve learned that roasting them gives them the best flavor and retention of their nutrients. Find my quick and easy recipe for roasted asparagus here. (Trust me, it takes less than 20 minutes to make and you’ll love it!)
Benefits:
Asparagus also has great nutritional and health values. It has high levels of folic acid, which helps prevent birth defects, and potassium, important for blood pressure control. It’s full of anti-oxidants such as vitamins A, E, K along with phytosterols and flavonoids that aid in decreasing the risk of developing heart disease by decreasing your LDL cholesterol levels. (LDL, Low-Density Lipoproteins, leads to buildup of cholesterol within your arteries.)(source) Antioxidants help to prevent the accumulation of harmful free radicals and lower the risk of chronic disease. Using a healthy fat, such as olive oil or coconut oil when cooking your asparagus, is the key to getting optimal vitamin absorption. (source)
Also used as a natural diuretic, great for detoxing. It flushes out toxins via the kidneys, which expel the unwanted toxins through the urine. (source) If you experience frequent bloating or water retention, don’t run to the nearest drug store for some pills. Try the natural way, and add some asparagus to your diet a few times a week. In addition, enjoying a warm glass of lemon water each morning can boost the detoxification and is a refreshing and energizing way to start your day.
As far as the urine smell goes, asparagus gets a bad wrap from that. Don’t let that deter you from adding it to your diet. The urine odor is temporary and it comes from sulfur containing chemicals that form when your body metabolizes a compound found in asparagus, called asparagustic acid. Because individuals metabolize the chemical differently, not everyone will notice the smell. (source)
Here is the nutritional breakdown for a serving size of 4 medium stalks, raw (source)
Calories: 12.8
Total fat: 0.0g
Protein: 1.6g
Carbohydrate: 2.4g
Fiber: 1.2g
Vitamin A: 484IU
Vitamin K: 26.8mcg
Vitamin C: .36mg
Folate: 33.2mcg
Calcium: 15.2mg
Iron: 1.2mg
Potassium: 8.8mg
Sodium: 1.2mg
Phytosterols: 15.2mg
Selection, preparation and serving tips:
When choosing your green asparagus stalks, (most common in North America) you will want to look for ones with a bright green colored shaft and green with purple colored, tight pointed tips. Other varieties are the rare purple asparagus, developed in Italy and has a sweet and nutty taste, and the white asparagus, which as a bittersweet taste, and as the name suggests, it is entirely white.
If you are using within a few days, you can just wrap the asparagus loosely in a plastic bag and store in the vegetable drawer in your fridge. To prolong the life for a week, cut at least an inch off the ends and place upright, in a tall glass or vase that has an inch of water, in the refrigerator until ready for use.
As I mentioned before, my favorite way to cook asparagus is to roast them, but you also can steam, boil, grill, stir-fry or microwave, but be careful not to overcook it. Cooked correctly, the spears should be crisp-tender and bright green. Overcooking them can lead to mushy, undesirable texture with a drab, olive green color. Hint: You can also use the discarded ends for a soup stock instead of tossing them out.🍵
You can start your own crop of asparagus if you have some patience and allow time. Asparagus is a perennial, so once the plant is established, (1-3 years) it doesn’t require much upkeep and will harvest year after year, each spring. Here is an informative article from The Old Farmer’s Almanac that explains the best methods for planting, growing and harvesting asparagus: ARTICLE from The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
In conclusion:
Although asparagus may not get the love it deserves from many of us, I encourage you to find ways to add this healthy and nutritional vegetable to your diet!
Ok, one more thing….I want to share this funny joke with you:
“What do you call a leftover vegetable?”
“A-Spar-a-gus” (A spare I guess)
😂😁😉
