When you roast asparagus, does it get all mushy? My mom used to buy it canned and it was all mushy and made me gag. I'd like to try it but past experience is making me a little leary.
I love asparagus, and you don't have to cook it til it's mush. My favorite ways to make it are to steam it or roast it.
To roast, I leave it whole, breaking off any woody ends. Spray with a little cooking spray and sprinkle with seasoning and roast at 400 degrees. It usually takes only 10 - 15 minutes, but you might want to start checking it around 7 or 8 minutes to make sure it's not too soft for your tastes.
To steam, I put the asparagus in a large skillet with only about 1/2 inch of water on medium heat for about 10 minutes (covered).
We grill and roast tons of asparagus and it isn't the least bit mushy. The outside can caramelize and get a bit crunchy before the inside gets even close to mush.
However, I think asparagus is one of those veggies only worth eating when its in season. It's not great after being shipped very long distances because it loses some of its delicacy. I live in an asparagus growing region and for about 2 months a year asparagus is absolutely *everywhere* and we wind up eating it every day (even if we go out to eat!). During the other 10 months, it's not worth eating... But YMMV.
I agree that canned asparagus is just about useless. The taste gets stronger, and it manages to be both mushy and stringy at the same time. Fresh asparagus (try white if you can get it - wow is it yummy, but sometimes really expensive) is so good, the slender stalks are so tender they barely have to see heat at all. Mmmmm
Trust me: Bar-b-q it. I love asparagus (only the fresh kind. Canned veggies are never the same.)
Spray it with a liiiiiittle bit of olive oil, sprinkle some garlic salt on it and throw it on the grill horizontally so it doesn't fall through the grill. Delicious.
I've roasted frozen asparagus, it's not the same as fresh but it's still good. I just toss with a bit of olive oil and seasoning and roast in the oven at 400 for maybe 15 min or so. I do this with frozen brussels sprouts too, works very well with thinly slices potatoes, the sprouts and potatoes both take about 35 min.
Roasted aspargus is one of mine and my families very favorite veggies. Something I discovered about 5 months ago.
And no, it doesn't have to be mushy. Canned asparagus doesn't even come close to resembling fresh asparagus.
The length of time you roast it also depends upon how thick the asparagus is. Obviously the thicker the asparagus the longer it takes. I roast it with a little salt sprinkled on and fresh chopped garlic, sprayed with some cooking spray. Yummy.
Roasted Asparagus
