Homegrown Asparagus at Orr’s

Did you know that Asparagus is a perennial plant? It’s a little known fact.  Our asparagus was originally planted about 6 years ago. Once you planted, asparagus can be harvested for up to 20 years or more. Once spring hits and the crowns start popping up, you usually can get about 20 harvests per season. That means once you cut the asparagus, it’ll grow back another 20 times. Each time we harvest it, we get anywhere from 30-100 lbs. We then size it down once it’s in the market, and take out the stalks that have grown too big.  It’s then bundled and put out for sale.

We started harvesting our asparagus about a week ago. It was a sluggish start due to the cooler temperatures recently.  We hand cut every spear of asparagus here on the farm.  We’ll continue to harvest it for about another 6-8 weeks. We grow both green, and purple asparagus here at Orr’s. The purple asparagus tends to be a little sweeter than the green, and the flavor is a bit milder. Personally, I like both colors and don’t have a preference.

Asparagus has a moderate shelf life. If it is kept in the right container in your fridge, asparagus can last about 4-5 days. After purchasing, trim off the bottom and stand the spears up in a glass jar with about an inch of water. You can also cover the top with a plastic bag to extend the shelf life.

My favorite way to make asparagus is to grill it, or toss it in the oven. I found a new recipe I can’t wait to try- Grilled Asparagus Parmesan.  You can find that recipe at this link. You can also check out our Pinterest Page where you’ll find lots of other Asparagus recipes. Asparagus pairs well with steaks, seafood, chicken and just about anything! We also love it in a quiche! We hope you come out to the farm and get some homegrown asparagus to try before the season is over.