Check asparagus at the interface

Asparagus: interface gives hints on freshness

The asparagus season is for many the culinary highlight of the year. In order to fulfill the taste claims, consumers should pay attention to some details when buying asparagus, reports the consumer initiative in Berlin.

When buying fresh asparagus spears, the interfaces as well as the appearance of the asparagus heads and the sticks as a whole should be taken into account, explain the experts of the consumer initiative. On the basis of the interfaces, the freshness of the asparagus can be easily checked. The interface must be moist, smooth and delicately scented. Hollow or sunken, discolored interfaces, however, are an indication that the asparagus is no longer fresh, explained the expert speaker of the consumer initiative, Alexandra Borchard-Becker. In addition, the asparagus tips should be firmly closed and the asparagus spears firmly without visible grooves, so Borchard-Becker on.

Asparagus tasty and healthy
Asparagus is very popular among gourmets, but the vegetables are not only delicious but also healthy. The asparagus contains vitamin B1, vitamin E and vitamin K, among others. The green asparagus also has folic acid and vitamin C after exposure to sunlight. The only downer is the high purine content, which can lead to acute joint pain in people with elevated uric acid levels to a gout attack. However, such complaints after the asparagus enjoyment are a rather rare exception.

Local asparagus with ecological and social benefits
When buying asparagus, consumers should not only look for freshness but also for the origin of the delicious sticks, according to the Consumer Communication Initiative in Berlin. For ecological and social reasons, preference should be given here to domestic produce over the asparagus from southern Europe or Peru. "If you want to buy local goods in the supermarket, you should look closely at the origin. For here, German asparagus shares the shelf meters with the goods from Greece, Spain, Italy and Peru, "emphasized the expert of the consumer initiative, Alexandra Borchard-Becker. As the asparagus needs a lot of water to grow and water scarcity often prevails in the growing regions of the southern countries, cultivation is at the expense of the local population. "Particularly problematic is the situation in Peru, for example", where the groundwater level in the asparagus growing regions has already massively declined today and as the development progresses, agriculture will no longer be possible in the future, the consumer initiative reports in its latest press release.

After purchase fresh asparagus is unpeeled and wrapped in a damp cloth in the vegetable compartment for about three days preserved. However, the vegetables can also be peeled and raw frozen easily, so that asparagus lovers can extend the season by a few months, reports the consumer initiative. (Fp)

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