Treat Your Asparagus Like A Bouquet Of Flowers For Better Fridge Storage

It's always great to have fresh veggies in the house. They're perfect for tossing in salads, roasting as a side dish, or even using as a pizza topping. But most produce goes bad pretty quickly unless you store it properly. While veggies are often refrigerated for freshness, you can usually take it a step further with some storage hacks that extend their shelf life. Next time you're ready to refrigerate those asparagus, pretend you're making a veggie bouquet: Store them upright in some water as if they were flowers.

Fresh asparagus has a bright color and good crunch, and you want to keep the stalks that way until you're ready to cook them so that they maintain their flavor and texture. If you're cooking them within a day of purchasing them, then the storage method is a bit easier: Just wrap a damp paper towel around the asparagus bundle, then place them in a resealable bag and store them in the refrigerator's crisper drawer. But the bouquet method is best for when you want this veggie to last longer.

Water is essential for vegetables to thrive. Even through the asparagus stalks are no longer in the ground, they still need water to maintain their bite and vibrancy. For the bouquet method, start by slicing off about 1 inch at the bottom of the asparagus to give them fresh ends for more water absorption (a common trick with flowers, too). Using a wide-rimmed jar or tall glass, fill it with about 1 inch of water, then add the asparagus to the jar. From there, lightly enclose the asparagus by laying a sheet of plastic wrap over them or covering them with a plastic bag. The bouquet method will keep the asparagus fresh for at least three days — or even up to five. 

If you want to stock up on asparagus while in season but don't plan to use the bunch right away, then you can just freeze it. The best way to do this is to blanch the asparagus first (place in boiling water, then cool the stalks in ice water). Then, freeze them individually on a sheet pan before transferring them to a freezer-friendly bag or container to prevent freezer burn. Storing the asparagus stems individually first prevents them from freezing into a big clump, allowing you to defrost them as needed.