# Canning asperagus



## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I have a crap-load of Asparagus that grows along the railroad tracks behind my house. I took the dogs and my step daughter out looking today. We found a small handfull. It's starting!  We usually have so much we can't eat it all. While we were hunting whitetails up by Orfino last year, Lisa's mom gave us some canned asperagus. **** good! Since I got the canning bug last fall I'd like to try and pickle some. How do I preserve it until I get enough to can? Freeze it? Gooooob?, anyone?


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## svmoose (Feb 28, 2008)

My mom does a ton of this stuff. I'll ask her for her recipe for you.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Stokley Van Kamp and Del Monte grew 5,000 acres of it close to where I lived in Illinois in the 70s. And it grew wild everwhere, especially back in the day when there were fences. 

I'd get a couple 40-lb boxes, one on the first cutting and then another on the 3rd, or last cutting. We usually cut it up, blanched it, and then froze it. Usually gave half away, ate or froze the other half. Keep it in a cool, dry place until the tops start to dry and curl up. When using, trim off the bottom until there's no appearance of tough fibers. Some stores have bunches of asparagus tied up and resting in a pan of water; makes sense, but I never tried it.

Don't let the stalks get any taller than 12" and always cut it below the ground at a 45° angle so when it comes up again it will have a nice bud on the top.

Brings back some bittersweet memories of migrant workers, from 6 to 76 yrs old, bent over from daylight to dark, cutting asparagus.


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## ram2h2o (Sep 11, 2007)

Nothing beats a few good spicy pickled asparagus stalks in a "Bloody Mary"! Yummmy.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

svmoose said:


> My mom does a ton of this stuff. I'll ask her for her recipe for you.


Good deal. I'll try any recipe she has. 
On a second note, have you guys been up to your cabin in Whale Pass POW lately? I miss Alaska. Lisa and I haven't been there in over a year.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

wyogoob said:


> Stokley Van Kamp and Del Monte grew 5,000 acres of it close to where I lived in Illinois in the 70s. And it grew wild everwhere, especially back in the day when there were fences.
> 
> I'd get a couple 40-lb boxes, one on the first cutting and then another on the 3rd, or last cutting. We usually cut it up, blanched it, and then froze it. That's the info I was looking for. Usually gave half away, ate or froze the other half. Keep it in a cool, dry place until the tops start to dry and curl up. When using, trim off the bottom until there's no appearance of tough fibers. Some stores have bunches of asparagus tied up and resting in a pan of water; makes sense, but I never tried it.
> 
> ...


Thanks Goob. Chuck.


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## svmoose (Feb 28, 2008)

Longbow - sorry I missed your post. I'm still chasing down this recipe. 

I haven't been up to POW since May 2010. I'd like to get up there. The rest of my family is going this summer, but I'm not due to work obligations. I'm hoping to get up there soon on a deer hunt.


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