PRODUCT REVIEW - Green Giant Asparagus Spears from General Mills and Product of Peru

I have eaten asparagus all my life and was also weaned on German white asparagus fresh out of the garden. When I was living in Germany the farmers would knock on the door and sell a pound to you cheap.

I love asparagus. I have tried every off brand and store brand out there.  I always buy the most expensive canned which I keep in pantry just for emergencies which is Green Giant because I figure it is a tough nut to crack.  Store brands are mushier and I understand why a lot of people don't like it because they have canned asparagus.

Asparagus is

• low in calories
• great with Land o Lakes diet butter, lemon and parsley
• a diuretic like pineapple

I have always bought Green Giant because it used to be the best. This last can (see photos) below was disgusting.

When you cook fresh green asparagus you use the thin spears and bend until the hard woody part breaks off and throw that away.  Then what you have left is edible. Then you cook it. 

This can was full of woody almost reedy asparagus.  I ate a few spears and dumped all of it in the garbage disposer.  DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID TO THEIR PRODUCT BUT THEY CHANGED SOMETHING. 

Oh, well, back to FRESH green and white asparagus only. 

Here is a link for white asparagus recipes but you could use on green. White asparagus is in season right now. Be sure you peel off the outer layer with a vegetable peeler because it has a tougher skin than the green. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/05/white-asparagus-recipes_n_3016516.html?ref=topbar#slide=2299701

PHOTOS OF MY CAN OF GREEN GIANT ASPARAGUS AND WHAT YOU SHOULD DO WITH IT IF YOU BOUGHT IT. 

INCIDENTALLY, if you are thinking of growing your own two of the three websites we research told us wrong about how to plant. Both said plant 16 inches down and layer with top soil, mulch, etc.  WRONG!

The way to plant it is get the already started plant:  Plant in a whole 12 inches under and only cover the plant with a little soil, etc.  Then when you see green growing through the dirt add a little more dirt, etc. Again, do the same thing. 

You won't get any asparagus the first year but you should the second or third.

The reason the white asparagus is white is it never sees sunlight. That is why you will see mounds in Oberrodenbach and Niederrodenbach Germany. They keep covering up and never let it see sunlight.,