It’s always nice to have fresh vegetables on hand. They’re perfect for tossing into salads roasting as a side dish or even as a pizza topping. But most produce goes bad pretty quickly unless you store it properly. While refrigeration is often a good way to keep vegetables fresh you can usually take it a step further with a few storage tricks that will extend their shelf life. The next time you want to store that asparagus in the fridge pretend you’re making a vegetable bouquet: keep it upright in water as if it were flowers.
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How to keep fresh flowers fresh for longer
Fresh asparagus has a bright color and a nice crunch and you’ll want to keep the stalks that way until you’re ready to cook them so they retain their flavor and texture. If you’re cooking them within a day of purchasing them the storage method is a little easier: just wrap a damp paper towel around the asparagus bundle place it in a ziplock bag and store it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. But the bouquet method is best if you want this vegetable to last longer.
Water is essential for vegetables to thrive. Even when asparagus spears are no longer in the ground they still need water to maintain their bite and vibrancy. To use the bouquet method first trim about an inch off the bottom of the asparagus to give them fresh ends for increased water absorption (a common trick with flowers). Use a wide-mouthed jar or tall glass and fill it with about an inch of water and place the asparagus in the jar. Then lightly seal the asparagus by placing a sheet of plastic wrap over it or covering it with a plastic bag. The bouquet method will keep the asparagus fresh for at least three days or up to five days.
If you want to stock up on asparagus while it’s in season but don’t plan on using the bunch right away you can simply freeze it. The best way to do this is to blanch the asparagus first (put it in boiling water and then cool the stalks in ice water). Then freeze them individually on a baking sheet before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container to prevent freezer burn. Storing the asparagus stalks individually first prevents them from freezing in a large bunch so you can thaw them as needed.
