Asparagus, Preserved in Salt
Ingredients
Directions
Pack the box
Place a layer of coarse sea salt at the bottom of a square, watertight wooden box.
Add a layer of asparagus, then another layer of coarse sea salt.
Continue layering asparagus and salt until the box is filled.
Ensure the top layer of salt is ½ inch thick.
Cover the box with a wooden lid and place a weight on top to keep it pressed down.
Store the box in a cool, dry place.
Prepare to serve
When ready to use, soak the asparagus in cold water for three hours.
Scrape the asparagus, then soak it in lukewarm water for five hours, changing the water occasionally.
Cook the asparagus as desired.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Asparagus
- The main vegetable; salting and soaking it preserves it and changes its texture for later cooking.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws water out of the asparagus and preserves it, so the stalks keep for storage.
The step that matters
Soaking the asparagus to remove salt. Salt must be drawn out before cooking, or the asparagus will taste overly salty. Soaking in cold water first, then lukewarm water with changes, lets salt diffuse out gradually.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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