White Asparagus

[Purple Strawberry]

My grandmother is from Germany and she said that over there all they eat is a white asparagus. I would love to grow some for her put I can't find them anywhere. Does anyone know the name or a place to get them from?

Angie

 

[jlmann]

You have to blanch regular asparagus when it is growing to get white asparagus. Kind of like blanching celery. With asparagus (if I remember right) you mulch it when the tips first come up and when they have pushed through to the top you run a knife under the mulch and pull on the tips and you have white asparagus. There may be a white asparagus cultivar available now but as far as I know blanching is the only way to get it.

 

[Purple Strawberry]

I found this on about.com

Question: White Asparagus - What makes it white

What is the difference between white asparagus and green asparagus? Does it make a difference in my recipe?

Answer: White asparagus comes from the process of etiolation, which is the deprivation of light. Dirt is kept mounded around the emerging stalk, depriving it of light. The plant cannot produce chlorophyll without light, thus there is no green color to the stalks.

White asparagus is considered to be slightly milder in flavor and a bit more tender than green asparagus. All varieties and colors may be used interchangeably in recipes.

I guess I could have looked there before starting a topic.

 

[bid]

White asparagus is just asparagus that is covered with additional soil (or mulch) as the spears emerge from the ground. This prevents the sun from reaching the spears and they do not turn green. It isn't a special cultivar, but rather a growing technique.

 

[jlmann]

Hey no problem - my grandparents are from deutschland too.

 

[Iceblink]

Has anybody here ever blanched purple asparagus? Do you get lavendar?

 

[Hattie the Hen]

White asparagus is delicious -- blanching it gives it a more delicate flavour. I used to work in Germany & Holland; I used to look forward to it coming into season. I can remember eating it hot but with slices of cold ham & topped with a lightly poached or boiled egg (without the shell of course). You dip the asparagus in the egg yolk --Mmmmm! YUMMY row
:rose Hattie :rose