Asparagus is a stalk-y vegetable that is both nutritious and delicious! It has the potential to grow super fast—up to 10 inches a day—and with all its nutrients, your children may just have a healthy growth-spurt of their own! Once they experience the crunchy, subtly-sweet taste of asparagus, they’ll be coming back for seconds!

Asparagus is a Great Source of:

• Iron—to make red blood cells, muscles, and carry oxygen throughout the body.
• Fiber—a needed nutrient to stay “regular.”
• Antioxidants—for a boost to the immune system!
• Vitamin K—aiding bone and brain health
• Copper—for healthy red blood cells and nerve cells.

Did You Know?

• Asparagus is a vegetable that grows wild. You just have to know which ditch or other grassy area to look in!
• Asparagus is a perennial, which means, when taken care of, it will continue to come back year after year!
• The asparagus was once a delicacy for the Greeks and Romans.
• Asparagus is part of the Asparagaceae family, making it a cousin to onions, garlic, tulips, and even daffodils!”
• After you eat asparagus, it has the potential to make your urine smell a little strange! Don’t worry, it’s completely normal and the odor will go away!

How to Harvest and Store Asparagus

When harvesting or shopping, choose asparagus stalks that are firm and even in color—avoid stalks that are wilted and dry. Both thick and thin stems of asparagus are okay to eat! Whether you picked your own asparagus or bought it from the store, you’ll want to rinse it with water when you get home. To store, trim the bottom of the stalks (optional) and set inside a glass with 1–2 inches of fresh water. Cover with a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days.

Tips to Get Children to Eat Asparagus

• Make finding asparagus an adventure! If you grow asparagus in your garden or know a local spot where it grows in the wild, let your children help harvest! They’ll be much more excited to try the veggie once it’s cooked if they’ve lent a helpful hand!
• The flavor and texture is most liked when asparagus is cooked briefly and still has a little bit of a crunch to it!

Ways to Eat Asparagus

• Sauté
• Steam
• Boil
• Grill
• Roast

• Asparagus cooks fast — Roman Emperor Augustus coined the phrase “velocius quam aspargi coquantur” which means “faster than you can cook asparagus.” Over the years, this has been shortened to “in a flash.”

• Per one-half cup serving, asparagus has the highest content of folate of any vegetable.

• Ancient and medieval medicinal practices used crushed asparagus tips to reduce swelling and alleviate pains associated with bee stings, wounds and infections.

• In proper conditions, asparagus can grow as much as one inch per hour — up to 12 inches in one day.

As you enjoy fresh produce, follow these safe handling tips to help protect yourself and your family.

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Your local markets carry a wide variety of nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables. However, harmful bacteria that may be in the soil or water where produce grows can come in contact with fruits and vegetables and contaminate them. Fresh produce may also become contaminated after it is harvested, such as during storage or preparation.

Eating contaminated produce can lead to foodborne illness, often called “food poisoning.” So as you enjoy fresh produce, follow these safe handling tips to help protect you and your family.

Buy Right

You can help keep produce safe by making wise buying decisions.

• Choose produce that is not bruised or damaged.
• When buying pre-cut, bagged or packaged produce — such as half of a watermelon or bagged salad greens — choose only those items that are refrigerated or surrounded by ice.
• Bag fresh fruits and vegetables separately from raw meat, poultry, and seafood when packing them to take home from the market

Store Properly

Proper storage of fresh produce can affect both quality and safety.

• Store perishable fresh fruits and vegetables (like strawberries, lettuce, herbs, and mushrooms) in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40° F or below. Use a refrigerator thermometer to check! If you’re not sure whether an item should be refrigerated to keep its quality, ask your grocer.
• Refrigerate all produce that is purchased pre-cut or packaged .

Separate for Safety

Keep fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw separate from raw meat, poultry, and seafood — and from kitchen utensils used for those products.

• Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with soap and hot water between preparing raw meat, poultry, and seafood and preparing produce that will not be cooked.
• If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• If you use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards, run them through the dishwasher after use

Prepare Safely

When preparing any fresh produce, begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after preparation.

• Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Throw away any produce that looks rotten.
• Wash all produce thoroughly under running water before preparing and/or eating, including produce grown at home or bought from a grocery store or farmers’ market. Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended. Produce is porous. Soap and household detergents can be absorbed by fruits and vegetables, despite thorough rinsing, and can make you sick. Also, the safety of the residues of commercial produce washes is not known and their effectiveness has not been tested.
• Even if you do not plan to eat the skin, it is still important to wash produce first so dirt and bacteria are not transferred from the surface when peeling or cutting produce.
• Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
• After washing, dry produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present on the surface

What About Pre-Washed Produce?

Many pre-cut, bagged, or packaged produce items are pre-washed and ready-to-eat. If so, it will be stated on the packaging, and you can use the produce without further washing.

If you choose to wash produce marked as “pre-washed” or “ready-to-eat,” be sure that it does not come in contact with unclean surfaces or utensils. This will help to avoid cross contamination.

About Foodborne Illness

Know the Symptoms

Consuming dangerous foodborne bacteria will usually cause illness within 1 to 3 days of eating the contaminated food. However, sickness can also occur within 20 minutes or up to 6 weeks later. Although most people will recover from a foodborne illness within a short period of time, some can develop chronic, severe, or even life-threatening health problems.

Foodborne illness can sometimes be confused with other illnesses that have similar symptoms. The symptoms of foodborne illness can include:

• Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain
• Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and body ache

Take Action

If you think that you or a family member has a foodborne illness, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

Sautéed Asparagus with Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 lb asparagus, trimmed
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tbps. extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped (or ½ tsp dried)
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Ice water

Directions

1. In a large skillet, bring 2 inches of water to boil with salt. Prepare ice water, set aside.
2. Add asparagus to boiling water, cook for 4–5 minutes, until barely tender.
3. Remove spears from the water, and place in ice water to cool. Once cool, drain the water, and set the asparagus aside.
4. Heat oil over medium-high heat in the skillet. Add mushrooms, asparagus, thyme, salt, and pepper to taste.
5. Cook until mushrooms are wilted and asparagus is heated through (about 3–4 minutes). Serve warm or chilled.

Asparagus with Gremolata Souce

Ingredients

• 2 cups asparagus, washed and trimmed
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tsp. lemon peel, grated
• 1 garlic clove, large, minced
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice, fresh

Directions

1. Cook asparagus in a large pot of boiling water until tender, about 4 minutes
2. Drain, rinse with cold water to cool quickly
3. Pat dry and wrap asparagus in a paper towel, then plastic wrap and refrigerate
4. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat
5. Add lemon peel and garlic and stir for 30 seconds
6. Add asparagus and toss to coat
7. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Sauté until asparagus is heated through and coated with the Gremolata sauce (butter, lemon peel, garlic, and lemon juice), about 3 minutes
8. Transfer to a plater and serve