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All asparagus fans can breathe easily. The popular seasonal vegetable was tested by the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and the results are encouraging: most asparagus samples are free of pesticides.

The royal vegetable

With spring comes the asparagus season. Since asparagus is so popular, the quality is strictly monitored in Germany and regular checks are carried out by the supervisory authorities in the federal states.

As in previous years, the results this year are again pleasing. The Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has published data on pollution.

The investigations showed that asparagus is one of the least contaminated vegetables and is virtually free of pesticides.

Little strain on asparagus

As early as 2016, the Federal Office for Consumer Protection found residues of pesticides in only four of the 502 asparagus samples examined (the stipulated maximum level here is 0.8 percent). In 2015 not even in any of the 350 samples.

The inspectors also found multiple residues extremely rarely. Only 3 percent of the inspected asparagus showed residues, compared to an average of around 30 percent.

In contrast to other types of fruit and vegetables, where ten or even more active substances were sometimes found in one sample, a maximum of five active substances were detectable in asparagus samples from 2010 to 2016, reports the BVL.

Strict controls

Asparagus is very often tested for pesticides and is sometimes even one of the most frequently tested vegetables. Since the German asparagus is the most commonly offered on the market, the quality controls are very regular.

The news that asparagus is hardly contaminated by pesticides is all the more gratifying. Even ahead of Germany, China is one of the largest growing countries for asparagus, followed by Peru and Mexico.

Lead levels have dropped significantly

Overall, the lead content in asparagus is very low compared to previous studies. In most samples, no or only very small amounts of lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and aluminum are detected.

In the case of lead, in particular, exposure has decreased in recent years.

Hardly any perchlorate pollution

During the controls, the asparagus was also checked for perchlorate. The intake of salt inhibits iodine absorption in the body and can thus impair the metabolism of the thyroid gland. Because of this, intake of this salt should be minimized.

But the all-clear is given here too, because only two of the 294 asparagus samples showed a quantitatively determinable perchlorate content, which was clearly below the applicable European reference value, according to the BVL.

Enjoy asparagus without hesitation

The popular vegetable is therefore as good as free of any pesticides and is, therefore, one of the vegetables with the lowest levels of pollution.

Nothing stands in the way of enjoying asparagus and delicious, healthy, and low-calorie dishes can be conjured up from the white and green spears.

Freezing asparagus tips can be very useful. Because when the asparagus season is over, it will be difficult to get the delicious asparagus. Thus, freezing can be the best option to safely and long-term preserve asparagus.

Do you also love the asparagus season and are very sad when it’s over? We have tips on how to freeze fresh asparagus. So you can enjoy it long after the season is over. But before freezing, there are a few things you should consider to preserve quality.

Can you freeze asparagus?

All asparagus lovers probably ask themselves this question after the season. Because at this time a lot of asparagus is eaten. You also want to keep the fresh asparagus for later. Because canned asparagus doesn’t taste that good. Whether white or green asparagus, you can freeze both varieties. We’ll show you how you can enjoy asparagus long after the season is over. The asparagus should be frozen as fresh as possible so that it remains crisp and aromatic.

1) Step by step instructions

To give you a better overview, we have the following step-by-step instructions for freezing asparagus for you. Because freezing is a lot easier than you think. Most importantly, note that cooking and blanching the asparagus is superfluous. Also, note our instructions for freezing beans.

  1. Washing the asparagus thoroughly is the first step to freezing. It doesn’t matter whether you want to freeze green or white asparagus. Both should be properly washed with water.
  2. Then dry well and cut off the ends. Because you don’t want to eat them. That’s why they don’t need to be frozen.
  3. White asparagus should be peeled first. Since the peel is usually not eaten, it should also be removed before freezing. Because the frozen asparagus is added directly to the boiling water as soon as you want to prepare it. Meanwhile, green asparagus does not need to be peeled.
  4. Do not boil or blanch beforehand. Otherwise, the good taste of the asparagus will be lost.
  5. Then pack the asparagus airtight. This ensures you have a longer shelf life.

2) Freeze white asparagus

If you want to freeze white asparagus, wash it thoroughly beforehand. Then dry it well and cut off the woody ends. Before you freeze the white asparagus, you should peel it. But you should avoid cooking and blanching. Because the delicious aroma of the sticks is lost. Finally, you have to stow the asparagus properly. Use an airtight box or freezer bag for this. If you want to eat the asparagus right away, read our tips for cooking asparagus.

3) Freeze green asparagus

Green asparagus can also be frozen and enjoyed later. To do this, wash it off thoroughly beforehand. After that, you don’t need to peel it. All you have to do is dry it off and cut off the ends. You can then store it in an airtight Tupperware container or in a freezer bag. Again, you should avoid cooking and blanching. Also, note our tips and instructions for freezing food.

How long does asparagus keep in the freezer?

Now the asparagus is ready for the freezer. But how long does asparagus keep in the freezer? Frozen asparagus keeps for a long time. But a maximum storage time of 6 to 8 months is recommended to preserve the taste and quality. You should also note that your freezer has a temperature of minus 18 degrees.

Preparation of the frozen asparagus

Once you’ve properly frozen your asparagus, it’s time to eat them. But how do you properly prepare frozen asparagus? So that it retains its aroma and tastes delicious? We have a simple tip for this. Because you don’t have to let the frozen asparagus thaw before you cook it. You can simply add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook. This way you get the vitamins and the aroma of the asparagus. Also, note our tips for freezing and reheating mushrooms

Asparagus is delicious and, thanks to valuable ingredients, also healthy. But as soon as you eat it, the delicious dish turns into a pungent smell in the toilet. Why is that?

The problem: Urine smells bad after eating asparagus

If only it weren’t for that unpleasant acrid smell when you go to the toilet, shortly after eating asparagus. However, fewer people are affected by this than is commonly thought.

The phenomenon of asparagus urine only occurs with every second person. The reasons can be very different. “Methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulphide compete in asparagus urine for the most unpleasant note,” says an article in the magazine Chemie in our time.
The foul-smelling substance trio is quite familiar to our nose: It also gives human biogases such as flatulence, mouth and athlete’s foot odor unpleasant notes.

Why does urine smell after eating asparagus?

Asparagus, whether white or green, contains asparagusic acid, which is initially odorless. However, if this is broken down, a sulphur-containing compound is formed which is excreted in the urine – with a corresponding odour.

However, this breakdown product only occurs if you have a certain enzyme – and not everyone does that. The genes decide who has this enzyme and who doesn’t. Only about 40 percent of people have such a gene that is able to produce the enzyme.

Still others can’t even smell the smell. The Apotheken Umschau writes that those affected then probably have a mutation in an odor receptor gene. But don’t worry, it’s neither bad nor dangerous.

Asparagus urine resembles skunk secretion

“The smell is harmless and not a sign of illness or poisoning,” reports Stefan Lorkowski, Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at the University of Jena, to the Apotheken-Umschau. Stuffing when going to the toilet is still unpleasant. No wonder, since the substance is similar to the chemical compounds in the dreaded skunk secretion.

Only 15 minutes after enjoying an asparagus meal, it starts to smell. Nothing can be done about it. However, drinking plenty of water helps flush the breakdown products out of the body quickly.

Incidentally, the problem that the pee gives off a strange smell after eating asparagus is not new: reports of smelly asparagus urine have been around since the middle of the 17th century – a time when sulfur and sulfates were used as fertilizers for the first time.

Asparagus is considered the most popular spring vegetable because it not only tastes delicious, but is also an absolute nutrient bomb. But what is the difference between green and white asparagus and which variety is healthier? Here are the answers.

White or green – that’s the difference between asparagus

White asparagus grows underground and is also harvested underground. Its green counterpart grows above the ground and forms chlorophyll as soon as it stretches its head out of the ground towards the sun. Hence the green color.

In addition, green asparagus does not taste quite as mild and fine as white, but has a more spicy taste.

Since white asparagus has to be pricked, which involves a lot more effort, it is usually a bit more expensive. Green asparagus only has to be cut off.

How healthy is asparagus?

Asparagus consists of 90 percent water and is therefore very low in calories and fat-free. The fat content is only about 0.3 percent. It’s 0.47 percent carbohydrate and just over 2 percent protein, which is where “most” of the calories come from.

The popular vegetable also contains many important vitamins (A, B, C, E, K) and many valuable minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron.
The high potassium content and the asparagine, which stimulates kidney function, have a draining effect and there can be a strong smell of urine after consumption.

White and green asparagus: which variety is healthier?

Green asparagus is a bit healthier because it contains more vitamin C, folic acid and also more B vitamins than its white counterpart.
In addition, you don’t have to peel it, just remove the woody ends before cooking.
In the end, both varieties are very healthy, which is why only personal taste should play a role in the selection.

Asparagus and gout – when does asparagus become unhealthy?

However, according to the Federal Center for Nutrition, eating large amounts of asparagus can trigger gout attacks, which is why some people should consume the delicious vegetable with caution. It contains many purines, which are converted to uric acid in the body. If there is more uric acid than the kidneys can process and excrete, the uric acid level in the blood will be too high, which in turn can lead to deposits, especially in finger and toe joints.

This creates pain and swelling in sufferers, which are the symptoms of gout. If you have kidney problems or even kidney stones, it is better to consume asparagus in smaller amounts. In moderation this is not a problem, because the quantity makes the poison. Incidentally, the largest proportion of purines is in the asparagus head, so if you want to be particularly careful, you can remove it beforehand – but who wants to do without the best part?

Ultimately, both white and green asparagus are super healthy and should definitely be taken advantage of and enjoyed during asparagus season.

Instructions and useful tips for cooking asparagus properly. The asparagus season has begun and with it the preparation of the most delicious dishes. But who does not know that the popular delicacy is too woody after preparation or simply not tender enough? Even if the preparation of asparagus seems very easy at first glance, you should pay attention to a few things. With the right knowledge, the preparation of the delicious vegetables is very easy.

Peel asparagus like the pros

Of course, asparagus should be peeled before cooking, unless you opt for the slightly more expensive option, namely the tender asparagus tips. First of all, the asparagus is washed and placed on a dry cloth. This makes it easier to peel during further processing.

Now the asparagus is carefully peeled with a paring knife. You should make sure that the shell has been removed all around. If the asparagus is not peeled cleanly, it can taste woody very quickly.

When buying, you should make sure that the interface at the lower end of the asparagus has not dried out. Nevertheless, the lower piece is cut off about one centimeter during processing, because this is usually a bit woody.

  1. Wash the asparagus spears.
  2. peel carefully with a paring knife.
  3. Cut off the ends of the asparagus about a centimeter.

Cooking and preparation of asparagus

If you don’t have a special asparagus pot, a simple saucepan that is closed with a lid when cooking will do. To get the asparagus out of the saucepan later without any problems, you can hold the spears together with a piece of string before cooking, which can be easily removed later. This in no way affects the cooking process. Only a little water is needed for cooking so that the asparagus is just covered with it. Now add a pinch of salt. Add a little knob of butter if you like. This once again underlines the delicate taste of the asparagus.

With white asparagus, it is advisable to add some lemon juice to the vegetables. In this way, the light color of the asparagus is preserved. To bring out the flavor, even more, you can add a pinch of sugar during cooking.

  1. Bundle asparagus
  2. Cook in salted water
  3. Season with butter and a pinch of sugar

Ideal cooking time for asparagus

After about fifteen minutes, the vegetables are done. If you are not sure about this, take an asparagus spear out of the top and check if the asparagus bends. In this case, it is done or you simply taste a piece of it. Hollandaise sauce is particularly popular with asparagus dishes. Green asparagus can also be refined with a little garlic. The asparagus water can still be used, for example in aromatic vegetable soups.

Wild asparagus grows in the Mediterranean region and is the spicier version of green cultivated asparagus. Where it often occurs, how to prepare it and more information can be found here.

Wild asparagus, also known as forest asparagus, is a delicacy for asparagus lovers. The wild asparagus is mainly found in the Mediterranean region, for example in Croatia, southern Italy or Greece. You can collect it there between March and May. Wild asparagus looks similar to green cultivated asparagus, but tastes much more aromatic and spicier. Not everyone likes the intense, slightly bitter taste, but you should definitely try the healthy vegetable at least once.

Wild asparagus: Attention, risk of confusion!

Wild asparagus is not always “real” wild asparagus. It is often a question of other plants that are incorrectly named as such – for example wild hops or the Pyrenees milk star. As the name suggests, the latter comes from the Pyrenees and is often imported from France. Although both belong to the asparagus family, the milk star is only distantly related to the true forest asparagus.

Collect wild asparagus

On the other hand, it grows lush in parts of southern Europe, for example Apulia, and on Istria, a Croatian peninsula. The annual forest asparagus harvest takes place there from March to May: thousands of Croatians then collect the wild asparagus. But even there you need a practiced eye and patience, because the thin rungs are not always easy to spot.

So if you ever want to prick wild asparagus yourself, you could combine the whole thing with a trip. Alternatively, you can get hold of the asparagus at the weekly markets there.

Warning: there are many snakes in Croatia. If you go looking for wild asparagus, you should have a stick with you to scare them away. Also wear long clothes.

Wild asparagus: How to prepare it

If you are lucky enough to get your hands on wild asparagus, the preparation is very easy. First check if it has woody ends and cut them off if necessary. Simply blanch the rest in salted water for five minutes. You can serve it with olive oil and some lemon juice, for example.

You can also prepare wild asparagus in a frittata. Or you puree the cooked asparagus spears and add them to a risotto.

Bimi looks like broccoli but has long stems like asparagus. It is therefore also known as asparagus broccoli. You can find out more information and recipe ideas here.

The asparagus broccoli is a delicately flavored green leafy vegetable that was created by crossing. Thanks to its valuable ingredients, bimi is considered the new superfood of modern cuisine. Bimi is particularly popular because there is hardly any waste when cleaning – and because of its particularly short preparation time.

This is what you should know about Bimi

Bimi originated in Japan and was created in 1993 by crossing broccoli and kai-lan, a Chinese cabbage. The first hybrid seed was given the name “Aspabroc”, which loosely translated means “asparagus broccoli”.
Its aroma is actually reminiscent of asparagus. In English-speaking countries you will find Bimi under the name “Broccolini”. Both Bimi and Broccolini are registered trademarks and therefore product names protected under commercial law. Independent breeders are therefore not allowed to breed or trade the hybrid vegetable under the name Bimi or under the name Broccolini.

Bimi contains similar healthy ingredients as broccoli. First and foremost contains the vegetables

Vitamin C,
Vitamin A,
potassium and
fiber

at only around 38 kilocalories per 100 grams. It is best to store Bimi in the refrigerator, because the vegetables have the longest shelf life if they are stored cool. So that all valuable ingredients are preserved, you should only steam Bimi for three to five minutes or fry it in a pan for around five to eight minutes. But you can also eat Bimi raw without hesitation – for example in a salad.

If you care about the environment, you should therefore only very rarely buy Bimi. Whenever possible, use local produce for cooking. Regional products have shorter transport routes and are therefore less harmful to the climate. By shopping locally, you reduce your personal carbon footprint.

A simple alternative to Bimi is young harvested broccoli. Young broccoli roses are also a very tender vegetable that you can prepare just as quickly.

Asparagus is often said to have a certain complexity. Cooking asparagus properly is not difficult at all.

Tips for buying asparagus

The sticks must be bright and firm, the tips should be closed. If you rub two spears of asparagus together, they should squeak with freshness!

The best thing to do is to start thinking about it when you go shopping: local asparagus will be available from mid-April. Freshly cut, without long transport routes, asparagus simply tastes best. Check interfaces when shopping: They must not be dry or even moldy and juice should come out when you squeeze them. The sticks must be bright and firm, the tips should be closed. If you rub two spears of asparagus together, they should squeak with freshness!

Store asparagus properly

If you don’t want to overcook your freshly bought stick vegetables right away, you can wrap them in a cloth (e.g. tea towel) moistened with lemon water and keep them in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator for a few days (max. 3). If you want to freeze asparagus, you should prepare it ready to cook beforehand, i.e. cut off any woody ends and peel the rest. It is not necessary to blanch asparagus before freezing. Do not thaw the frozen asparagus before preparation, but place it directly in the boiling water.

Peel the asparagus properly

Before preparation, wash the asparagus briefly, pat dry, and peel with a vegetable or asparagus peeler. To do this, place the asparagus on your forearm and hold it with all your fingers except your little finger. Then use an asparagus peeler to peel from the bottom of the tip to the end of the stalk; meanwhile, turn the asparagus with your fingers. Green asparagus does not have to be peeled that far, the lower third is usually enough. With white asparagus, it pays to peel a little more generously, preferably starting under the head. Don’t throw away the asparagus shells! You can boil them for an aromatic asparagus broth that can be used to infuse creamy soups and sauces.

More about asparagus

Asparagus (lat. Asparagus Officinalis) belongs to the lily family. The perennial shrub grows to a height of about 1 m and has a woody rootstock. The asparagus buds begin to sprout at the top of the root. In spring from a soil temperature of 15 °C, the rhizome puts out many finger-thick sprouts that are white in color and turn green as soon as they come out into the open.

White and variegated asparagus

White asparagus has a typically fine asparagus aroma, is very tender, and has fewer bitter substances than other asparagus. The rungs are protected from the sunlight by mounds of earth to keep them white. White asparagus is cut 20 to 25 cm below the ground.

Green asparagus is cultivated without ridges, is tender and fine, but has a more intense taste. It is becoming increasingly popular and cultivated more and more often. Today, the proportion of green asparagus is over ten percent.

Purple asparagus contains more anthocyanins, which turns it purple. It originally comes from Italy and therefore needs more sun and warmth. Occasionally you can buy the slightly sweeter purple asparagus in Austria, more towards the end of the season.

That’s why you should eat asparagus

Asparagus consists of 90% water, the rest is valuable vitamins, minerals such as potassium, and hardly any calories (20 kcal per 100 g). It also scores vitamins A, C, and folic acid.

It’s a good thing that asparagus grows in spring, because it stimulates the metabolism, supports the liver and kidneys, and has a draining effect. However, people with a tendency to have kidney stones and high blood uric acid levels should be more careful with asparagus. Asparagus gets its typical taste from aspartic acid, which is important for the urea cycle and stimulates kidney function. After eating asparagus, the urine gets a peculiar smell.

Harvesting asparagus is manual work!

From mid-April to at the latest on St. John’s Day on June 24th, asparagus is harvested, as the harvest of the spear is known in technical jargon. Incidentally, asparagus can only be harvested by hand!

If you want to cook asparagus, you should read this guide. You have to cook asparagus gently and over low heat. Here you can find out what else you need to know about white and green asparagus.

If you want to cook asparagus, you should know the following: White and green asparagus differ not only in appearance, but also in harvesting and cooking time. White asparagus grows underground, green asparagus above ground, and the latter therefore cooks much faster than white asparagus.

Cooking white asparagus: Cooking time and cooking test

Here’s what you need to cook white asparagus for two:

1 kg of white asparagus spears
2 tsp salt
1 tsp butter or vegan margarine
1 pinch of sugar
optional: 1 slice of organic lemon
How to cook white asparagus:

Peel the asparagus first. Because even if you cook the skin of the white asparagus longer, it will not become soft.
Place the asparagus spears in a large pot or pan of boiling water. It is important that the poles are completely covered with water.
Add salt, sugar and butter or margarine. The sugar softens possible bitter substances. You can also add a slice of organic lemon. This provides a slightly fresher taste and makes the white asparagus shine.
Briefly boil the asparagus and then let it cook over low heat. How long depends on the thickness of the asparagus spears. A rule of thumb:
Grade I: cook for 10 to 15 minutes
Grade II: cook for 8 to 10 minutes
Cooking test: If you lift the asparagus spears with a fork, they will bend downwards. Depending on whether you want the asparagus to be soft or al dente, they should bend more or less. If you want to be absolutely sure, you can pierce the ends of the asparagus spears with a knife – the asparagus tastes best when it is soft and yet has resistance.

Tip: Asparagus works particularly well in an asparagus pot. Place the asparagus spears upright so you can cook them standing up. However, this does not change the cooking time. You can prepare the white asparagus particularly gently in the steamer. At 100 degrees Celsius, the asparagus spears also need between ten and 15 minutes.

Boil or fry green asparagus

To peel green asparagus you only have to remove the outer layer in the lower third. The shell in the upper area is very soft.

How to cook green asparagus:

Add two teaspoons of salt, a pinch of sugar and a slice of organic lemon to the cooking water and let the asparagus spears cook over low heat.
Green asparagus is ready after just six to eight minutes. If you have very thin sticks, they can be cooked after five minutes.
Never cook green asparagus in water for too long. Otherwise the asparagus head will quickly become mushy.
You can also find out whether the asparagus are ready with the green asparagus with the fork test or by piercing them (see white asparagus).
Fry green asparagus:

Put some oil or butter in a pan.
Fry the asparagus spears or asparagus pieces over high heat for about five minutes.
Turn them regularly.
Then season them with salt and white pepper.

Recipe tip: Make a soup from asparagus broth

When the asparagus is done, the asparagus water remains. You can use this to cook a delicious asparagus soup instead of pouring the broth away. You need the following ingredients per liter of asparagus water:

200 ml organic cream or vegetable cream substitute,
2 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tablespoons organic flour,
some salt, pepper and fresh chives.
Preparation:

Put the butter or margarine in a saucepan and heat it up.
Put some flour in the saucepan and mix it with the melted butter to make a roux.
Mix the finished roux with the asparagus water and the cream.
Thicken the soup with some flour dissolved in water if it is too runny for you.
Then all you have to do is boil them up and season with salt and pepper.

Shopping tips for asparagus

Even if the first asparagus is often available in the supermarkets in March, the asparagus season in Germany does not start until mid-April. Bad weather can also delay the harvest time for asparagus cultivation by up to eight weeks.

The asparagus in March, on the other hand, comes from heated fields that are often covered with plastic sheeting. High energy consumption and unnecessary plastic make asparagus a small environmental sin. Imported asparagus is also not recommended, since the long transport routes lead to high CO2 emissions.

If you want to cook asparagus, it is best to buy it from the region and if possible in organic quality. This is how you can be sure that the asparagus is free of chemical-synthetic pesticides.

Peeling green asparagus is quick, but in many cases it is not necessary. We will show you what you have to consider and how to properly process green asparagus.

In contrast to white asparagus, green asparagus are not pricked as soon as the head sticks out of the ground, but continues to grow in the sun. That is why green asparagus does not need black foil. Sunlight gives it its green colour, plus more healthy vitamins and a stronger flavor than white asparagus.

Since green asparagus is less expensive to grow and harvest than white, it is usually a little cheaper. It is also less complicated to prepare. Because of its thin skin, you usually don’t have to peel green asparagus! If you buy it seasonally, you can also be sure that its growth has not been artificially accelerated by heaters or thermal foils. So there is a lot to be said for accessing seasonal green asparagus.

Note: The use of foil when growing white asparagus makes it a real problem for the environment. Not only does the film pollute the environment during its production and disposal, it also destroys the natural habitat of many endangered bird species.

Peel, cut, or break green asparagus?

Whether or not you need to peel green asparagus depends on how it was harvested. If the bottom third is purple-whitish and hard, be sure to peel that part and cut off the dried ends. The white rim has not yet seen sunlight and will still be very firm and brittle after cooking.

When the asparagus is green all the way through, just cut off the end an inch. You should never peel the green and soft asparagus skin. Most of the vitamins are just under the skin. If the asparagus spears are still very thick and the skin feels hard, peel only the lower third.

You can also break green asparagus instead of cutting them. Since the inedible part cannot be broken off, the asparagus will break off above the woody end. So you don’t have to use a peeler or knife and you can prepare your asparagus quickly and easily. For this, the asparagus must be very fresh and crisp.

Green asparagus tastes best fresh from the market. If necessary, you can wrap it in a damp cloth in the fridge and keep it fresh for a few days.

In order to avoid long transport routes and to protect the environment and climate, you should only buy asparagus regionally and seasonally. To be sure your asparagus is chemical-synthetic free, buy organic asparagus.

Boil green asparagus

The easiest way to prepare green asparagus is in boiling salted water. The cooking time is significantly shorter than with white asparagus and, depending on the thickness, is only around eight minutes.

In order for the asparagus to keep its bright green color, you can also add some white vinegar or lemon juice to the cooking water and shock the asparagus with ice water when they are done.

Or you can simply fry green asparagus in a pan with some cooking oil or fat. Cut into fine pieces, it is cooked within five minutes.

Of course, asparagus can also be grilled or put in the oven as an asparagus casserole. Green asparagus soup tastes particularly delicious. You can also use the woody ends that you removed earlier and boil them as a broth for the soup. In this way you use every gram of your precious asparagus and there are no leftovers that you have to throw away at the end.