Asparagus - White

White asparagus is exactly the same variety as green asparagus grown in Australia. The difference is that white asparagus is grown in the dark. When asparagus spears are exposed to sunlight, they first turn pink and later, the familiar green colour.

Flavour

White asparagus is a little milder, with a more delicate flavour than green asparagus.

Nutrition

Asparagus is one of the best sources of folate or folic acid - an essential dietary requirement, especially for pregnant women. Five spears provide close to half the daily folate requirement as well as being high in vitamins A, C and E.

Did you know?

Asparagus is a perennial vegetable. It rises from long feeder roots which can grow to a depth of 1.5 - 2 metres.

Serving suggestions

White asparagus has long been considered a delicacy, particularly by Europeans - traditional and modern German and Austrian recipes feature its delicate flavour beautifully. Enjoy Spargelessen with white asparagus as the star. Cream of white asparagus soup, or potato and asparagus soup with salmon, are magnificent.    

Seasonality

Available from September to March.

How to select

Look for firm, bright smooth, spears of uniform size with closed, compact tips. When snapped, fresh white asparagus should be crisp, moist and juicy.

How to store

Fresh asparagus needs to be kept in cool, humid conditions. One method is to stand fresh spears upright in a container with one centimetre of cold water. Cover and keep it in the fridge.

How to Prepare

White asparagus spears are usually thicker than green asparagus. White asparagus also has a thicker outer layer that can be easily removed. Simply use a vegetable peeler to carefully remove the outer layer of each spear two-thirds the length of the spear towards the tip, then snap or trim off any woody end.