- How to identify wild asparagus: Confessions of a keen forager
- The not so wild history of wild asparagus
- In which states does wild asparagus grow
- What is wild asparagus like?
- A plant that changes with the seasons
- Follow the skeletons and you will find asparagus.
- Looking for asparagus in autumn (no, I'm not crazy… I think).
- Collecting is also caring
- The perfect moment is approaching…
- How to store and prepare wild asparagus
- Is it possible to eat wild asparagus?
- Wild vs. supermarket asparagus: is there that much difference?
How to identify wild asparagus: Confessions of a keen forager
If you’ve ever wondered how to identify wild asparagus, you’re in good company. Not as easy as it sounds, but with a little practice -and some intuition-, it becomes addictive. Here I share my experience, full of anecdotes, tricks and the occasional ‘but where is it?’ moment.
Is there anything else worth saying?
Let me tell you something: this publication has cost me more than I imagined. I have been thinking about it for more than 10 months, as if the words were playing hide-and-seek with me.
Why? Because there are already so many great resources on this topic that I wondered: do I really have anything new to contribute? Between blogs, youtube videos and even a classic book with a name – ‘Stalking the Wild Asparagus’ by Euell Gibbons – the ground seems to be well covered.
In the end I got courage, and decided to write this post, I hope you enjoy it !!!!
The not so wild history of wild asparagus
Many people call it wild asparagus, and I don’t blame them! After all, it grows on its own, without anyone having planted it. But if we get technical, it’s not wild like a wolf, it’s wild, and it’s not native to North America either. It was brought over during colonisation to be grown for food, and at some point it decided to break free and grow on its own, away from the orchards.
Do we need to enter into a debate about what we call it? Not really. But if you want to be accurate, the correct thing to say is wild asparagus… and it sounds great too! What do you call it?
In which states does wild asparagus grow
Wheat asparagus can be found in various parts of the country, especially in places with an agricultural history. In California, for example, it grows in rural areas and forgotten orchards.
IOregon and Washington, you can see it along roadsides and in meadows. In Michigan, it grows free and in crops – it can’t seem to make up its mind!
It also looms in the fields of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, especially near old railroad tracks. In New York and Pennsylvania, you’ll find it on land that was once cultivated and now belongs to the silence of the countryside. And if you’re in Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado or New Mexico, check out the wet grasslands: You might be surprised.
What is wild asparagus like?
A plant that changes with the seasons
Did you know that the asparagus you eat are actually young shoots that have just come out? Yes, tender and green, as if in the prime of life. But let them grow and you will see how they are completely transformed. In their adult version, they look more like a fern or a small bush, nothing like the delicacy on your plate!
Height? Higher than it looks…
Some adult asparagus plants are barely knee-high. Others, on the other hand, might be taller than you… were it not for the fact that many of them are already hunched over, as if waving at the ground. Sometimes it’s hard to see that one of them is almost 25 centimetres taller than you are!
The scales, those little clues
A sure-fire clue to recognise wild asparagus is the triangular scales on the lower part of the stalk. Sound familiar?
Of course, they are identical to those of the fresh asparagus in the market. Seeing them in the field is like botanical déjà vu.
Cute but dangerous fruits
Now, watch out for the berries. Some old asparagus plants still bear fruit in spring.
They are small, bright red balls. Sometimes they look white or greyish when they are overdone. Are you tempted?
Don’t even think about eating them! They are toxic to us. But birds are fascinated by them, and they are probably to blame for asparagus’ conquest of the wild.
Ferns and cladodes
As they mature, asparagus develops slender, elongated stalks – the famous cladodes – that look like soft leaves. They give asparagus that fern-like look that could easily be mistaken for other plants such as fennel. But if you run your hand over it, you’ll notice that soft texture all its own. Even on mature plants, many of these cladodes are very helpful in distinguishing them from other similar plants.
Follow the skeletons and you will find asparagus.
My favourite trick? Go out in the off-season, when the landscape is still wilted, and look for the ‘skeletons’ of the asparagus. Those dried stalks stand out like lanterns in the autumn and winter landscape, signalling precisely where to return in spring.
It may sound strange – I get it all the time – but autumn is my favourite season for identifying wild asparagus. People look at me as if I’ve said I’m looking for unicorns.
Looking for asparagus in autumn (no, I’m not crazy… I think).
Before you go hunting for wild asparagus, make sure you know what you are picking. It’s not a matter of picking just any green stalk.
Do you have any doubts? It’s better to go out with someone who already has experience – better to ask than to end up intoxicated!
Collecting is also caring
Of course, when you notice that the season is almost over, it is important to let some of the stems continue to grow. This way the plant can close its cycle in peace, OK?
No razing everything to the ground! Collecting is also caring.
The perfect moment is approaching…
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) season is upon us. And if you want to fill your basket, the secret is to be ready before they start to sprout. Once they poke their heads out, the vegetation around them is already so dead tall and lush that finding them becomes a riddle – even if they are right under your nose!
Small treasures
Have you ever stopped to look at those little red balls that hang at the end of summer on wild asparagus? Inside them, almost like a well-kept secret, are the seeds: black, shiny and full of life to come. I remember the first time I picked a few…
How to store and prepare wild asparagus
When you come across fresh asparagus, the last thing you want to do is mishandle them – don’t throw them around, please! I prefer to cut them close to the base with a knife, but a pair of scissors or even your hands will do the job. If you’re going to break them by hand, just bend them: they’ll split right where they start to get tough and stringy.
Not going to cook them right away? Keep them in the fridge, in a small glass with water covering the bottom, and that’s it!
That’s how they last me for weeks. I take out what I need, and if the water starts to smell funny… well, I’ll just change it. Do you also have your own tricks to keep them from spoiling?
Is it possible to eat wild asparagus?
Wild asparagus is cooked just like the ones in the supermarket, but it has that something special about the countryside. I love sautéing them with butter and garlic… simple but glorious.
Wild vs. supermarket asparagus: is there that much difference?
Come on, let’s not beat about the bush! Wild asparagus and supermarket asparagus are essentially the same. What changes – and a lot – is the size.
The ones in the supermarket look like they come out of a factory: all the same, as if they had a bar code. Why? Because they are grown under highly controlled conditions.
The wild ones are more rebellious. They grow where they want and how they want. That’s why you can find them from very thin, like matchsticks, to chubby ones of more than 2 cm.