How to Freeze Asparagus
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In the spring, asparagus is one of the first crops to emerge from the ground. At peak season it can produce a LARGE asparagus harvest in a very short period of time. While they do keep in the refrigerator for a bit, if you save them too long, they start to get wimpy and even slimy.
Thankfully, asparagus is very easy to freeze for later! Freezing is my favorite way to preserve this spring vegetable. Learn how to blanch and freeze fresh, tender asparagus spears for later. It’s quite easy!
How do You Freeze Asparagus
Prepare your Asparagus
- Wash asparagus spears. Sorting into similar sizes is helpful for the blanching step. See the FAQ below for more on blanching and if it is necessary or optional.
- Cut off the tough ends of the spears and remove any other imperfections or tough pieces you find.
- Cut asparagus into smaller lengths if they’re too large to fit into your containers after blanching.
After cutting off the tips for freezing I like to use the stalks for canning. Check out canning directions for asparagus here. Canned asparagus is pretty soft but great for cream of asparagus soup.
Blanching Asparagus
See the FAQ below for more on blanching and if it is required or just suggested.
- Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil. I don’t really measure this closely. But I’ve seen 2 T salt to 6-8 cups water recommended.
- Put asparagus into a blanching basket.
- Plunge asparagus into boiling water. Timing based upon the size of the spears:
- Use 2 minutes for small spears
- 3 minutes for medium spears
- 4 minutes for large spears
- They should just be lightly cooked. Do not over blanch, they’ll be soggy.
- Remove basket from pot of water and cool asparagus immediately. An ice water bath is the best way to cool but you can just use cold water if ice bath is not available. The goal is to stop the cooking process.
- Drain thoroughly. You can use a colander, or paper towels to blot dry. I actually laid my asparagus on a dish towel.
If you don’t have a blancher you can simply use a large pot of water. Then use tongs or a slotted spoon to add the asparagus and remove to a large bowl of ice water. Drain and continue.
Package in Freezer Containers
There are a few ways to package the asparagus for freezing. Flash freeze, freezer bags or plastic freezer containers.
I like to package in small quantities in sandwich bags then place those bags into larger freezer bags. There are only 2 of us now and small portions is all that is needed.
You could also flash freeze. Simply lay your asparagus out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place that in the freezer. When your spears are frozen remove from the freezer and repackage in freezer bags. This will enable you to pull out just what you need later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to blanch before freezing asparagus?
Technically no. You don’t have to blanch asparagus before freezing. However, it is highly recommended. The blanching process stops enzyme actions and will give your asparagus better texture when you thaw it out. Blanched asparagus actually helps maintain better color as well. It is just partially cooking before freezing. You are going to cook it anyway when you thaw so why not do it now and get better results.
A blancher is super helpful for blanching food. It’s a basket with handles that you can just plunge into the pot and easily remove without burning yourself. If you don’t have a blancher, you could always use another type of metal or wire basket you have already in your kitchen.
Just long enough for them to be crisp-tender. Not over done. Generally about 2-4 minutes.
Yes, the salt seasons the asparagus. Makes it tastier later.
Recipe Card
How to Freeze Asparagus
Ingredients
- Asparagus young, tender spears
- Water
- Salt 2T to 6 Cups water – optional
Instructions
Freezing Asparagus
- Wash asparagus spears. Sort into similar sizes.
- Cut off the tough ends of the spears and remove any other imperfections.
- Cut into smaller lengths if asparagus spears are too large to fit into your containers after blanching.
- Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. 2 T salt to 6 cups water. Blanch spears for 2 minutes (small spears), 3 minutes (medium spears), or 4 minutes (large spears).
- Cool immediately. Drain well and package in freezer containers.
Notes
Rigid freezer containers – plastic with secure fitting lids
Glass jars – not really recommended… but possible. Using straight sided, wide mouth jars will have a lower risk of breaking.
Sources:
- https: //nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/vegetable/freezing-asparagus/#gsc.tab=0
- https: //extension.psu.edu/asparagus-canning-freezing-pickling
