Whats the best way to cook asparagus?
Traditionally, asparagus was cooked in a tall pot by standing the spears on the butt end, tips facing up, the butt end immersed in boiling water leaving the tips to cook gently in the steam. But this was in the days when asparagus was cooked for 15-20 minutes. These days most cooks blanch the asparagus briefly, or cook it for less than 7 minutes, keeping the vegetable firm with a good crunch and vibrant color. However you cook it, choose spears of an even thickness to ensure they will cook uniformly. Trim or snap the ends of the asparagus, wash well, then drop it into a saucepan of boiling, lightly salted water, tips pointing up. Cook with the lid off for 2-5 minutes. Drain and refresh with plenty of cold water. Plunging into boiling water sets the color. Cooking with the lid off lets vegetable acids escape in the steam; putting a lid on them makes them fall back onto the asparagus causing the asparagus to discolor. Nutrition Asparagus is a valuable vegetable to include in the diet. It
