Straight Talk about Asparagus

Much advice is given regarding the cooking of asparagus; most of it can be ignored. This best of all possible vegetables needs only the simplest kind of attention to bring out and preserve its goodness.

Choose thin or thick spears, as you like. They should be firm and green with tightly closed tips. Do not plan on storing uncooked asparagus for more than twenty-four hours. Refrigerate it if you must keep it.

Take each spear by its ends and bend it gently; it will snap approximately at the point where tenderness begins. Reserve the woody stem ends for another use, such as soup, or discard them. Rinse the tip ends under cold running water.