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Bought some white asparagus at the greenmarket today, and it was distinctly bitter compared with the green asparagus I broiled with it.  Do I need to cook it a different way?

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On 5/13/2024 at 8:14 PM, Simon said:

Bought some white asparagus at the greenmarket today, and it was distinctly bitter compared with the green asparagus I broiled with it.  Do I need to cook it a different way?

Apparently the answer is to get the white asparagus from Europe next time lol

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Posted (edited)
On 5/13/2024 at 8:14 PM, Simon said:

Bought some white asparagus at the greenmarket today, and it was distinctly bitter compared with the green asparagus I broiled with it.  Do I need to cook it a different way?

At Cafe Katja, they make a stock with the peels. And the stock always has sugar in it for poaching the spargel.  I'm pretty sure that most of the spargel they get comes from Holland/Belgium. And that none of it comes from here.

Edited by MitchW
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6 hours ago, MitchW said:

At Cafe Katja, they make a stock with the peels. And the stock always has sugar in it for poaching the spargel.  I'm pretty sure that most of the spargel they get comes from Holland/Belgium. And that none of it comes from here.

And if you get it from Provence, or Landes I suppose, you don't even need the sugar. 

Navarra produces the least bitter white asparagus of all but I think it generally all goes to conservas or local consumption.

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Posted (edited)
38 minutes ago, Orik said:

conservas

Yes? Can mortals get any?

I've 6 fat stalks of white asparagus on my countertop from the Cambridge Formaggio Kitchen and all their ramps and I was considering how to carefully marry the two, but this thread is a downer.

Edited by relbbaddoof
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Posted (edited)

Thanks on both counts. I'll keep your excellent suggestion for the next time. Tonight I was going to roast the asparagus in ghee, dress with butter then toss with as much sauteed ramps as would enhance, not overwhelm.

Edited by relbbaddoof
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1 hour ago, relbbaddoof said:

Thanks on both counts. I'll keep your excellent suggestion for the next time. Tonight I was going to roast the asparagus in ghee, dress with butter then toss with as much sauteed ramps as would enhance, not overwhelm.

I'm just a little jealous that your Formaggio has that stuff for sale.  I shop at Formaggio Essex at least once a week, and while they have many things I use, there is no greenmarket component (which may actually be for the best in their situation).  They've made me extra happy by now carrying one of my favorite Italian dried pasta brands.

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Cut off the stems (give to the goat!), place in a quart container (cut in half if they're large) and fill the void with sugar (good old white cane does well here to preserve color), close the lid and give it a good shake. Some days later, much of the sugar will have turned to liquid, and you will have the most amazing strawberries. Depending on your ambient temp you might need to burp it a couple of times. Do not try with over ripe, moldy, or otherwise defective fruit (give to the goat you don't like!).

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1 hour ago, Orik said:

Cut off the stems (give to the goat!), place in a quart container (cut in half if they're large) and fill the void with sugar (good old white cane does well here to preserve color), close the lid and give it a good shake. Some days later, much of the sugar will have turned to liquid, and you will have the most amazing strawberries

I endorse this method even for commercial berries that aren't too horrible.

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10 hours ago, bloviatrix said:

Spotted strawberries at USGM today. Didn't buy any as I'm convinced they all would have been waterlogged.

Not sure if it was because of the rain, but the strawberries I got today from Norwich Meadows Farm were not as good as the ones I got from them last week.

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On 5/17/2024 at 4:57 PM, Orik said:

Cut off the stems (give to the goat!), place in a quart container (cut in half if they're large) and fill the void with sugar (good old white cane does well here to preserve color), close the lid and give it a good shake. Some days later, much of the sugar will have turned to liquid, and you will have the most amazing strawberries. Depending on your ambient temp you might need to burp it a couple of times. Do not try with over ripe, moldy, or otherwise defective fruit (give to the goat you don't like!).

My family would do pick-your-own strawberries in June, and my mother would freeze most of them along with some sugar.  Come the following spring, we'd have strawberries in syrup with sour cream as part of our post-shul lunch on the first day of Passover.

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On 5/17/2024 at 7:57 PM, Orik said:

Some days later, much of the sugar will have turned to liquid, and you will have the most amazing strawberries.

They are very sweet (obviously), but also a bit tough, like the sugar pulled some liquid from the strawberries. I have syrup, now, though, for use in cocktails.

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