Asparagus freezes very well and because it is a good filler vegetable, it is nice to have some ready to go when you are making stew or shepherds’ pie and want something extra to toss in. It is also good in soups.
The first and most important step is to choose fresh, healthy asparagus. Discard any bad pieces.
Wash the asparagus very well, stalk by stalk. Rinse it one more time and lay it out on paper towels to dry.
Trim the end of the stem slightly. Take the perfect-sized spears and put them in one stack. Take the others and cut them into short pieces, about 2 to 3 inches long.
Blanch each set in boiling water. If you want to blanch the asparagus in the microwave, follow these steps.
- Get out a heavy microwave dish.
- Put the asparagus in the dish. Do not stack.
- Put in 2 tablespoons of water for each pound of asparagus in the dish.
- Cook the asparagus on high until it turns bright green, usually one to two minutes. The asparagus should remain crisp for best freezing.
No matter how you blanch them, lift the pieces from the water after blanching. Put them into a colander and plunge them into ice water.
Remove from the water and drain well. Pack into freezer safe containers or bags, seal them well and label the contents on the bags or containers.
Take the asparagus from the freezer when needed and cook immediately. There is no need to defrost it. If a bag or two becomes defrosted, use it right away. For the best results, use up within eight months of freezing.