I like produce. I like to grow it. I like to eat it. I like to create recipes with it. I’m also kind of a nerd and like to get to know my produce. I like learning new or fun tidbits of info about the produce I’m growing/eating/baking. If you’re a weirdo like me then buckle up for this new series as I dive into a plethora of produce facts and share them with you. Here we go:
1. Growing asparagus takes patience, as you won’t see anything edible at the beginning. New crops of asparagus are only grown every 10 to 15 years because they are a perennial vegetable, so they’ll keep coming back every season on their own. If the spears aren’t harvested, they will start to look like ferns and turn into big bushy plants.
2. Asparagus is awesome for you health because it’s rich in saponins, which are a type of phytonutrient credited with reducing cancer risks and assisting in maintaining blood pressure, regulating blood sugar, and controlling blood lipid levels. Read: you should be eating more asparagus!
3. You’ve probably heard that asparagus can make your urine stink. It’s true and is caused by something called asparagusic acid, which the body converts into smelly sulfur-containing compounds, but scientists don’t really know why this only affects some people. Gross and weird.
Recipe for Asparagus Salad
4. Want to avoid a hangover? Eat asparagus! Eating the veggie before you start drinking can help protect your liver. The minerals and amino acids it contains not only protect the liver from toxins, the enzymes in asparagus can help break down the alcohol and alleviate hangovers.
5. Peru is the world’s leading asparagus exporter. In the US, about 90% of all asparagus you see in stores comes from Peru. Who knew?!
6. Germans pretty much only eat white asparagus. White asparagus is also known as “white gold” or the “vegetable of kings” and it’s pretty much all you’ll find in Germany. White asparagus is grown in the dark, and because it never sees sunlight, it does not go through photosynthesis and never turns green! White asparagus is also apparently sweeter than the green variety.
7. Asparagus was first grown in Greece nearly 2,500 years ago! Ancient Greeks and Romans, who gave asparagus it’s name from the Greek root meaning “sprout,” believed asparagus helped prevent bee stings and relieve toothaches.
8. As far back as 160 BC, asparagus is mentioned in writing, including in a manuscript by Cato The Elder, a Roman statesman, who wrote instructions on how to plant asparagus.
9. Asparagus contains absolutely no fat or cholesterol so it’s pretty much the perfect diet food!
10. There is actually a museum dedicated solely to asparagus. The European Asparagus Museum in Bavaria, Germany contains everything and anything you ever wanted to know about asparagus!
Had you heard any of those fun facts before? Do you have any of your own to add? Is there a particular produce item you want to know more about? I take requests!
Grow on,
~ Mavis
P.S. Do you grow asparagus in your garden? If so, I’d love to hear about it. I just placed my order for Millennium Asparagus Crowns from Johnny’s and I’m looking forward to planting it this spring {even if we won’t be able to harvest it the first year}.
Nora says
Hi Mavis!
Fun fact 11 – asparagus has gehydratong effects on your body.
BTW: We do eat green asparagus. Even my baby/toddler did, two different varieties even! Check it out https://www.instagram.com/gg_giftedgirl/
Marti says
Yep, I grow asparagus. We moved to our present location in 1972 and I planted asparagus roots. They didn’t grow so did it again and that year our neighbor plowed our garden and destroyed them. Tried again with roots with no luck. So the 4th year I decided to plant seed since I knew we were living here forever. I have 25 x 8 foot patch that produced abundantly. It is heavily mulched during the summer months and after the first frost, I cut off the ferns and mulch with chopped leaves for a winter cover. My neighbors benefit because it produce way more than I can use even if we eat it 3 times a day in season.
Betsy in MN says
I too planted seeds and last year had a lot of little baby ferns. Can’t wait!
Kristina says
Asparagus is also a very pretty plant. It is grown commercially near my home, so grocery stores always have an abundance of very fresh asparagus during the season. I’ve become kind of a snob about it – so will you once you have the good stuff! My mother has always thrown vegetable peelings, etc, out into our walnut orchard and she has ended up with a volunteer asparagus patch. When I was growing up, I thought that happened to people all the time, but apparently not!
Cathy says
My boys loved eating asapargus when they were little BECAUSE it made their pee stink! Great motivator to get my kids to eat healthy, right? Lol!
Ann says
Because little boys love gross. Well played!
Jenn from MA says
Last year I planted 50 one year old asparagus crowns intermingled with 75 strawberry plants so I am hoping- fingers crossed- to harvest some yummy asparagus this year!
Sue says
I have always heard that for the best results you shouldn’t harvest asparagus until the third year — I guess leaving the stalks causes the plants to put energy into the roots rather than into regrowing the stalks? Anyway you might consider not (or barely) harvesting any this year and maybe next. Talk about delayed gratification, eh?
Jenn from MA says
Yes I believe you are correct but I did hear you could harvest a few the second year so of course that’s what I am hopefully going to do. It will be hard to restrain myself I am sure but all good things take time and patience!
LaToya says
We had asparagus with our Valentine meal last night … and I’ve got the smelly pee pee today to prove it – LOL!
Stephanie Hughes says
I use to grow it. I converted an old sandbox and planted it. We loved the spears and the ferns. I planted 2 rows a year until box was full… we ate for years. My husband kept the house and mowed it down and cut all my fruit and nut trees down.
Diana says
Oh that’s so very spiteful…hope you started another patch
Stephanie.
Kim says
We bought 25 “third year crowns” of Jersey giant (from Andy’s Asparagus Acres) in fall 0f 2017. Since they were 3rd year crowns, we should have had asparagus last spring. One spear. This year should be much better. Hope so!!! Love the stuff.
Denise says
After reading your comment I googled Andy’s Asparagus Acres because with a name like that you would expect to get great asparagus crowns. I found 3 – one star reviews that said if they could they wouldn’t have given any stars. No wonder you didn’t get any. Just a warning to others. Third year crowns should have been productive. Luckily I live in an area where you can find crowns locally available. Sorry to hear about your experience.
Lolly says
The Germans ADORE Spargel!! The restaurants have entire menus for asparagus season!! Funny enough…I never tried it when we lived over there.
Deborah says
Planted 25 crowns 25 years ago, after seeing decrease for the last few years I didn’t harvest any last spring. Composted and let the ferns go hoping to feed the roots, but thinking I should order some new roots and start a new bed this spring just in case. I do agree once you’ve had homegrown you become terribly picky, we eat copious amounts in season and generally do without the rest of the year.
Sue says
Here is my fun asparagus anecdote, and I hope to hear whether any of Mavis’ readers have had the same experience!
I am growing purple asparagus in my garden. Very pretty, and the stalks have a milder flavor than the green I’m used to. But here’s the kicker — eating the purple asparagus doesn’t produce the pee smell! Has anyone else noticed this? Maybe it’s just me! 🙂
LaToya says
I’ve never tried the purple – though I’m willing to try for that reason alone – LOL!
Linda says
I dont grow asparagus. Don’t have enough room. I buy it from my farmer’s market in the BBC spring. Usually 5 dollars a lb. I can get 3 meals usually. So it makes sense for me. Love to roast it
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Jamie says
Love asparagus! Mostly because it the 1st thing I can harvest and eat after a long winter and it tastes so fresh. Also grows wild around here and I like looking for it. Can’t wait.
Vicki says
I’ve read articles about asparagus pee that say everyone’s pee smells funny after they eat asparagus, but not everyone can smell those compounds. It’s genetic – like whether or not cilantro tastes like soap. I love asparagus in spite of being able to smell the stinky compounds, and can’t wait for it to come in season!
Torry says
When I was a child (many, many years ago) I’d go in the summer and stay with my grandparents in Yakima, Washington. We would go out and pick asparagus by the side of the roads. Well, enough off the side to be safe and it was wild, not some poor farmer’s crop! I loved it then and I still love it.
Rosaleen says
RE: Asparagus as a diet food. Yes to low in calories and carbs while high in nutrition. A temporary benefit is that it is also a diuretic.