Eating vegetables raw is sometimes much healthier. Many vegetables lose a lot of their vitamin content when cooked, so it is better to eat them raw. You should know that some nutrients are sensitive to heat, while other nutrients remain unaffected. But, there are also some vegetables that will provide more health benefits when they’re cooked.
In this article we will deal with asparagus. Can we eat this vegetable raw or we should always cook it? Will asparagus lose its nutrients when cooked? Read along and you will find out, but first we will tell you something more about this vegetable.
More about Asparagus
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a spring vegetable that is native to most of Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. This flowering perennial plant is cultivated as a vegetable crop all around the world. Asparagus is composed 93% of water, so it is low in calories. This vegetable is great if you want to lose weight. It is rich in vitamins and minerals and it has many health benefits.
There are many ways to prepare asparagus. You can boil them, steam them, griddle them, roast them, but can you eat asparagus raw? Is it true that asparagus must be cooked? You will find out soon.
Is It Safe To Eat Asparagus Raw?
If you have eaten asparagus raw, you don’t have to worry. It is perfectly safe to eat asparagus raw, but it is much better to cook them. This way our body will benefit from their antioxidants much easier.
Also, cooked asparagus have a wonderful typical taste and they taste much better than raw asparagus. You just need to cook them to develop their wonderful taste. When cooking, the heads of asparagus should be outside of the waterline. It is best to add a ½ teaspoon of salt, butter and lemon in order to prevent discoloration.
Also, it is recommended not to use pots which are made of aluminium, but pots made of steel. When cooking asparagus, it is also good to tie them into bundles and to drop them into boiling water. Cover the pot and cook asparagus for 3 to 5 minutes. You can also steam asparagus or griddle them in a frying pan.
One more way to prepare asparagus is to roast them. Asparagus have a great flavor when they are roasted. You can add salt, pepper, garlic and freshly grated lemon and roast this vegetable for about 10 minutes. Roasted asparagus can be also mixed in a creamy pasta dish or risotto. Of course, you can always use asparagus in stir-fries. You need only a minute or so to fry them, so it is best to fry asparagus in the end of cooking your main dish. Also, you can sprinkle sesame seeds or soy on your asparagus.
Although most people prefer asparagus cooked, it is also safe to eat them raw. You just need to rinse them well in warm water in order to remove any sand. It is best to serve them cold. There are many recipes for eating asparagus raw. It is good to combine raw asparagus with feta cheese, parmesan or radish. Also, you can add a spear or two of asparagus to your fresh green smoothie. When you eat asparagus raw it is best to add olive oil and butter and also season your vegetable with salt and pepper.
You can combine fresh asparagus and boiled eggs. This is a great delicious combination. You just need to dip fresh spears into a boiled egg, but you can also make an asparagus soup and add a poached egg on the top of it.
When you eat asparagus raw it is best to choose thin spears of asparagus, because they are younger and also fresher in flavor. It is best to use asparagus as soon as you buy them. If you won’t use them right now, it is best to store them in a jug of water in the refrigerator. It is recommended to buy asparagus from local growers, because you will get fresher asparagus this way. You can also start growing your own asparagus.
Summary
As you have seen, there are many ways to eat asparagus. You can serve this vegetable hot or cold, cooked or raw. You can serve asparagus as a side dish, but you can also prepare a main meal using this vegetable. Asparagus can mix well into salads, soups, stir-fries, casseroles, but you can also serve it on its own.
As we have already said, it is completely safe to eat asparagus raw. Even though it is safe, many people prefer cooking asparagus. No matter how you choose to eat asparagus, we are quite sure that you will enjoy this vegetable and that you will get most of its nutrients.
