How to Freeze Asparagus – Sustainable Cooks

Learning how to freeze asparagus is a great way to preserve this short season vegetable. A freezer stash of frozen asparagus opens the door to amazing and speedy meals.

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Fresh asparagus season is way too short. If you want to enjoy asparagus for longer than six weeks each year, freezing your own asparagus is definitely the way to go!

And unlike canning, it requires zero special equipment or skills. If you can put a tray into a freezer, you can do this!

Use extra fresh stalks to make Instant Pot Asparagus or Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus.

Can You Freeze Fresh Asparagus Without Blanching?

Unfortunately, no. Asparagus needs to be blanched prior to freezing.

According to the NCHFP, “blanching stops enzyme actions which can cause loss of flavor, color, and texture. Blanching cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color, and helps slow loss of vitamins. Underblanching stimulates the activity of enzymes and is worse than no blanching. Overblanching causes loss of flavor, color, vitamins, and minerals”. (source)

How to Blanch and Freeze Asparagus

*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can click “jump to recipe” to skip down.

First up, you’ll need to trim the asparagus. Using two hands, hold one stalk of asparagus, and try to snap the end off.  Where it snaps is the natural breaking point.

You can snap each stalk individually, but I usually cut all the ends off at about the same point with a sharp knife to save time. Rinse the asparagus and set aside.

Next up, fill a medium mixing bowl with ice water. Go ahead and set that aside.

Scoop the slices out with a slotted spoon and put them into the ice water for 5 minutes. The ice water is important as it stops the cooking process almost immediately and prevents the asparagus from overcooking.

Remove the chilled asparagus from the ice water (I use tongs or let’s be honest…my hands) and lay it flat on clean kitchen towels. Blot the tops of the stalks with additional towels to remove all the excess water.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silpat and arrange the asparagus. You can crowd the pan but try to keep the stalks from touching while in the freezer.

Place the tray in the freezer for 2-3 hours depending on the thickness of the stalks. Once frozen, break apart any stalks that have stuck together and transfer them to freezer-safe storage.