Exceptional quality for late-season Washington asparagus

It’s all the rave shaved, a niche in great quiche and tastes terrific whether grilled, baked, steamed, roasted or sautéed, from morning to night. Washington state’s fresh asparagus is in season for only a few more weeks.

“We’re having a great Washington asparagus season and expect it to continue until about mid-June,” said Gary Larsen, board chair of the Washington Asparagus Commission and owner of Larsen Farms. “I haven’t seen quality this great, this late in the season in a very long time. The cool nights and cool days have made for exceptional quality. On top of that, with cherries, peas and other crops coming late, we still have labor in the asparagus fields for another two to two-and-a-half weeks.”

At retail, Washington asparagus is often marked with a flat blue rubber band around each bunch that identifies it as Washington product; some grocers use state-identifying hang tags in their produce sections. With substantially fewer road miles and transit time from packer to market, and a step above USDA standards with an “Extra Fancy” designation, Washington asparagus offers fresher flavor and quality than its imported counterparts.

Consistently abundant yields mean regional consumers need look no further than their area supermarkets or farmer’s markets for fresh, local asparagus. In 2018, 23.5 million pounds of Washington fresh asparagus meant a $50 million economic impact for growers and packers, with year-over-year growth thanks to changes such as increasing drip irrigation, using direct-seed varieties, and intensively managing and monitoring their farms.

“As a whole, the price for Washington asparagus has been consistent this year, which has been great for the growers — and really everyone involved. These crops are our vitality, and with the quality of Washington asparagus, we give every reason in the book to buy Washington and really to buy domestic asparagus while we can before the season ends and we are inundated with foreign imports from Peru and central Mexico,” said Larsen. “Our quality is superior and when retailers use domestic to fill their needs, they also support the backbone of the U.S.”