NATURE'S TREASURE HUNT con't
when my granddaughter came to visit, off we went. Equipped with nothing more than some gloves, a sharp knife and a bag, it was a great way to go exploring. Foraging is nature’s treasure hunt. A scavenger hunt for adults…and kids. Children don’t always find going for a simple walk as interesting as we adults might so to give the walk an added purpose beyond simply appreciating the views really helps to get them out there and to enjoy exploring.
Asparagus is the perfect gateway food into foraging. It’s all over the place, and you won’t mistake it for something poisonous. You don’t have to hike miles into the woods or climb mountains to find it. The VERY best way to hunt asparagus is to plan Ahead. Like, waaaay ahead.
The secret is to hunt for it in the fall. When the air turns crisp and the leaves start to change color, the asparagus will really reveal itself to the universe. You will see the telltale feathery yellow plants, sticking out like a city boy at the farm store. And once you know where the plants are, you’ll know exactly where to look for the spears come spring.
My grandmother always said that a reliable indicator as to when to start looking is the lilacs. As soon as the lilacs start to open their buds, she’d head out looking for asparagus.
Asparagus loves light. You really won’t find it in the woods, or anywhere that is shaded from the mid-day sun. We almost always find it in the road ditches and on the edge of farm fields. That narrows down your search area considerably.
Instead of looking for the green spears of asparagus themselves, I look for dead stalks from last year and premature or over-excited spears that come up first and then go to seed before a lot of the other stalks in the vicinity even come up because these are much easier to see! In fact, I can usually spot these from a moving car. And once you’ve spotted one plant, look closely because there is bound to be more.
When it’s time to harvest…A knife is the best tool for the job, and you should try to cut it as close to the ground as you can.
Wondering which stalks to leave and which to take?
This isn’t really a simple answer. Ideally you should leave some of the stalks behind, so that they can grow and use photosynthesis to create energy for the roots so that the plant will remain viable for the following year. If it is early in the season, I don’t leave any stalks behind. There will be plenty more that come up.
But what about the little shorties or the tall, monstrous asparagus? This is what I call an asparagus conundrum. Little asparagus is better than no asparagus but if you’re likely to return in a day or two, be sure to leave some to grow. And if you find giant ones I’ll take that too! The top half of the “spear” is still tender and quite edible.
BONUS: Some Foraging Factoids...
* Asparagus season = tick season. Tuck those pants into your socks!
* Don’t forget a collection vessel. A plastic grocery bag works wonderfully.
* No Trespassing. Side of the road, great. Farmer’s field, not so much. Unless you have permission, of course.
* Don’t Discriminate. Fat asparagus and skinny asparagus are equally tender. Toughness comes from the age of the spear that season, so taller = tougher.
* Don’t Give up. Think of it as a time investment, because once you find a patch you can returning every year.
And lastly, when you find your first young, tender stalk of wild asparagus- make sure you sample it right there in the field!
when my granddaughter came to visit, off we went. Equipped with nothing more than some gloves, a sharp knife and a bag, it was a great way to go exploring. Foraging is nature’s treasure hunt. A scavenger hunt for adults…and kids. Children don’t always find going for a simple walk as interesting as we adults might so to give the walk an added purpose beyond simply appreciating the views really helps to get them out there and to enjoy exploring.
Asparagus is the perfect gateway food into foraging. It’s all over the place, and you won’t mistake it for something poisonous. You don’t have to hike miles into the woods or climb mountains to find it. The VERY best way to hunt asparagus is to plan Ahead. Like, waaaay ahead.
The secret is to hunt for it in the fall. When the air turns crisp and the leaves start to change color, the asparagus will really reveal itself to the universe. You will see the telltale feathery yellow plants, sticking out like a city boy at the farm store. And once you know where the plants are, you’ll know exactly where to look for the spears come spring.
My grandmother always said that a reliable indicator as to when to start looking is the lilacs. As soon as the lilacs start to open their buds, she’d head out looking for asparagus.
Asparagus loves light. You really won’t find it in the woods, or anywhere that is shaded from the mid-day sun. We almost always find it in the road ditches and on the edge of farm fields. That narrows down your search area considerably.
Instead of looking for the green spears of asparagus themselves, I look for dead stalks from last year and premature or over-excited spears that come up first and then go to seed before a lot of the other stalks in the vicinity even come up because these are much easier to see! In fact, I can usually spot these from a moving car. And once you’ve spotted one plant, look closely because there is bound to be more.
When it’s time to harvest…A knife is the best tool for the job, and you should try to cut it as close to the ground as you can.
Wondering which stalks to leave and which to take?
This isn’t really a simple answer. Ideally you should leave some of the stalks behind, so that they can grow and use photosynthesis to create energy for the roots so that the plant will remain viable for the following year. If it is early in the season, I don’t leave any stalks behind. There will be plenty more that come up.
But what about the little shorties or the tall, monstrous asparagus? This is what I call an asparagus conundrum. Little asparagus is better than no asparagus but if you’re likely to return in a day or two, be sure to leave some to grow. And if you find giant ones I’ll take that too! The top half of the “spear” is still tender and quite edible.
BONUS: Some Foraging Factoids...
* Asparagus season = tick season. Tuck those pants into your socks!
* Don’t forget a collection vessel. A plastic grocery bag works wonderfully.
* No Trespassing. Side of the road, great. Farmer’s field, not so much. Unless you have permission, of course.
* Don’t Discriminate. Fat asparagus and skinny asparagus are equally tender. Toughness comes from the age of the spear that season, so taller = tougher.
* Don’t Give up. Think of it as a time investment, because once you find a patch you can returning every year.
And lastly, when you find your first young, tender stalk of wild asparagus- make sure you sample it right there in the field!