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Asparagus, Boiled

Boiled asparagus prepared by tying bundles and cooking in water until tender.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 2 ingredients
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Asparagus, Boiled

Ingredients

Directions

The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.

Prepare

  1. Place the green tops of the asparagus evenly together.

  2. Cut the stalk ends so they are all the same length.

  3. Lightly scrape the lower ends of the asparagus.

  4. Soak the asparagus in cold water for a while.

  5. Tie the bundles with kitchen twine.

Cook

  1. Boil plenty of water in a pot.

  2. Add the asparagus to the boiling water.

  3. Cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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 vegetable itself; its stalks soften as they cook, so timing sets the final tenderness.

The step that matters

Cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Prolonged heat softens the cell walls further and breaks down chlorophyll, so overcooked asparagus turns mushy and dull olive-green. Checking early keeps it tender with bright color.

“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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