Welcome to this canned asparagus blog article! Canned asparagus is a kitchen staple that can be used in a variety of meals, including salads, soups, and pasta. If you enjoy this versatile vegetable and want to add a new twist to your usual dishes, canned asparagus is a wonderful choice. Not only is canned asparagus easy to find and use, but it also retains the majority of the nutrients and flavors of fresh asparagus. We’ll look at how to make canned asparagus in this article.
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CHOOSING THE RIGHT ASPARAGUS
Choosing the correct asparagus is essential when creating canned asparagus. Look for firm, straight asparagus with tight tips and smooth skin. Wilted, discolored, or soft asparagus should be avoided. Depending on your preferences, you can also choose between green and white asparagus. The shoots of white (culturally bleached) asparagus are covered with soil as they grow (earthed up). There is no photosynthesis as a result of not being exposed to sunlight.
As a result, the shoots remain white in color. Before chlorophyll formation, the stalks are chopped at least 15 cm below the ground’s surface. Green asparagus stalks are allowed to grow 10-15 cm above ground before being trimmed slightly below the surface. Green asparagus is more prevalent and has a softer and more delicate flavor than white asparagus.
After chopping, asparagus’s structure changes quite quickly. It quickly gets fibrous and takes on a bitter flavor, so it must be handled quickly. A long-handled, sharp chisel-shaped instrument is used to hand-harvest white asparagus. When the stalks begin to push through the ground, the chisel is put at the right angle into the soft dirt, and the stalk is cut around 15 cm below the ground. There is mechanical harvesting equipment available for this.
In the field, the stalks are put in boxes with tip ends pointing in one direction. Because the value of the stalk is heavily dependent on the flawless state of the tip, the tips must always be carefully preserved from breaking or mashing. The crates are transported to the factory by truck. White and green asparagus canning procedures are similar.
PREPARING THE ASPARAGUS FOR CANNING
After you’ve chosen your asparagus, it’s time to get them ready for canning. To begin, wash the asparagus.
When washing asparagus, take extra care to remove dirt and sand from the tips. Because dipping cannot be relied on to produce adequate results, spray washing of some form is usually required. When washing green asparagus, use water that is at 140°F (60°C) to 150°F (66°C). This allows the stalk’s tiny leaflets to partially expand, allowing for better contact with the spray. To avoid discoloration of the stem, wash white asparagus within an hour of picking. On the green type, this stain is less obvious.
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In factories, asparagus is prepared, cut, and canned as soon as possible to prevent quality loss. Asparagus can be stored satisfactorily at 40°F (4°C) to 50°F (10°C) for a short amount of time if kept moist.
To cut the asparagus, chop the stalks’ butt ends first, either automatically or by hand. Discard the tough butt ends. In order for that size of the spears to be uniform, the length and diameter should be the same.
BLANCHING THE ASPARAGUS
Blanching involves immersing the cut asparagus in heated water or steam for a short period of time. To do this, place the stalks in blanching baskets with the tip ends facing up. You can purchase blanching baskets from manufacturers of canning machines. Then place the asparagus spear baskets in water at 170° (77°C) to 100°F (93°).
If the tips are very tender, they are just partially immersed in water during the blanching process. In this instance, the blanching time will range between 1 and 3 minutes. This depends on the size and condition of the stalks, or until they are sensitive and pliable sufficiently to be poured into cans without breaking.
Blanching can also be done in boiling water. Time should be reduced correspondingly in this instance, since the temperature is higher. In factories, blanching can be made continuous using a continuous blancher. Cut asparagus is often blanched in a rotary type blancher, similar to that used for peas, or in a draper type blancher, using either water or steam. The blanching temperature is about 180 °F (82°C), and the time is about 2 to 3 minutes.
The sturdier part of the stem receives a longer blanch than the more tender bloom end. Blanching asparagus can also be accomplished by running the filled baskets on a continuous conveyor through a hot water bath.
Some canners have found steam blanching to be fairly satisfying, claiming that it produces excellent flavor in both spears and slices. Steam blanching will take the same amount of time and temperature as water blanching. Blanching cleans the asparagus further, softens the spears, and removes the unpleasant odor.
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After blanching, wash and completely cool the asparagus with cold water sprays. Then empty the blanching baskets onto the filling tables.
CANNING THE ASPARAGUS
Electrolytic tinplate cans, with plain or lacquered bodies and lacquered ends can be used for canning asparagus. Cans with internal lacquer is ideal for packing asparagus in acidified brine to hinder corrosion. This is the case if the asparagus has been treated with 0.1% citric acid in the brine to prevent discoloration.
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When filling cans, keep the stalks parallel and prevent damage to the tips. Because there is some shrinkage after processing, the stalks should be packed extremely tight into the cans. The fuller the cans, the less play there will be and, as a result, less breakage of the stalks and tips. It is believed that if the stalks are placed in cans tip end down, the cans are inverted after sealing, and then processed, stored, and labeled with the tip end up, there is less damage to the tips.
In large-scale canning, the cans are sent to a briner after filling. At this step, the cans are filled with a 2% to 3% salt solution at a temperature between 190°F (88°C) and 200°F (93°C). When the can is closed and inverted, there should be enough hot brine to cover the tip ends.
After processing, immediate cool the asparagus immediately to around 95°F (35°C) to 105°F (41°C). This is significant because it improves flavor and color while preventing deterioration from thermophilic bacteria. These bacteria are able to thrive in relatively high temperatures.
