Asparagus went on sale for 99 cents a pound at my local grocery so I bought 10 pounds for eating, pickling and freeze drying. I’ve given up trying to freeze asparagus because it just doesn’t thaw well. With freeze drying of course the result is the same if you rehydrate, which is why I freeze dried asparagus to eat dry for a delicious healthy snack.
I started by lightly streaming four pounds of trimmed, clean asparagus for only a couple of minutes.
Unless you are plunging the asparagus in ice water after steaming there will be carry over cooking. I took mine right from the steamer to the freeze drying trays. While the asparagus was still damp, I sprinkled the on my seasoning.
You can use any seasoning you want, but I chose the following mix for four pounds although I didn’t end up using the entire mix:
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP butter powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp lemon zest
When making your seasoning keep in mind that with freeze drying, any saltiness or spiciness will be intensified in the final product. I initially got my butter powder as a prep, but wanted to start playing with it for fun and it works great on this asparagus. (Here is the most magnificent steak rub using butter powder from Noreen’s Kitchen.)
I then pre-froze my asparagus and freeze dried it using the automatic cycle but then added two hours. Your freeze drying time will depend on how much you put on each tray and the thickness of your spears. The asparagus is done when you can snap it easily and there is no moisture.
Next time I might try a parmesan Italian seasoning and maybe even an Asian seasoning. If you have freeze dried asparagus and have any tips (no pun intended) please share in the comments!
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