How to Blanch Asparagus

Blanching is a cooking technique where the food is cooked in boiling water and immediately chilled in a bath of ice water. Blanching is great for asparagus since it helps preserve the flavor, texture, and color. After you blanch your asparagus, you can either serve it right away, refrigerate it for 3-5 days, or freeze it for up to 1 year. With a bit of preparation, you can enjoy fresh, nutritious asparagus.

Cooking the Asparagus

Wash your asparagus in cool water to remove superficial dirt. Before you blanch your asparagus, make sure it is clean. Hold the stalks underneath cool water from your sink for 10-30 seconds.
Trim the ends off of your asparagus. To easily chop off the ends, place the asparagus on a cutting board so all of their ends are aligned. Then, use a large, sharp knife to slice off the bottom fourth of the asparagus stems. Remove the white, thick end from the green, slim stalk. Make 1 chop across all of your ends to easily remove it.
The ends are less flavorful and chewier, making them undesirable to eat.

Bring a large pot of water

To blanch your asparagus, fill a large pot about halfway full with water from your sink. Then, place the pot on your stovetop and select a high heat setting.
Your water should come to a boil in about 5 minutes.

Add salt to your water

Sprinkle your salt into the water as soon as you turn on the heat. Use about 2 tablespoons (29.6 grams) per 6 cups (1,400 millilitres) of water.
While adding salt is optional, it helps season the asparagus and help it retain nutrients.

Put your asparagus in the water

After you see bubbles brewing from your pot, place your clean, trimmed asparagus into the water using your hands. Then, use a slotted spoon or pair of tongs to submerge the asparagus completely in the water.
As you do this, be careful not to burn yourself on the hot pot or from the steam.
Let the asparagus cook for 2-4 minutes. Your asparagus will be fully cooked in roughly 3 minutes. As they cook, keep an eye on the color of the asparagus.
Your asparagus is ready when the stalks are bright green.

Submerging the Asparagus in Ice

Prepare an ice bath as the asparagus is cooking. After you place the asparagus in boiling water, grab a large bowl and fill it with ice. Then, cover the ice in cold water from your sink. Place the bowl next to the stovetop so you can easily transfer the asparagus.
Transfer the asparagus to an ice bath immediately after it cooks. After about 3 minutes or so, grab your tongs and pinch your asparagus with them. Ensure the asparagus is a bright green color before you take it out of the boiling water. As soon as you lift the asparagus out of the water, drop it into your bowl of ice water. Soak the asparagus for about 1-3 minutes until it is cooled down completely.
If you overcook your asparagus, it will get soggy and turn a shade of dark green.
The cold water stops the cooking process and softens your asparagus.

Slide the exhaust and muffler apart

With the exhaust clamp removed, respray the area where the muffler pipe meets the exhaust piping with rust penetrator and allow it to sit for a few more minutes. You should then be able to pull the muffler toward the back of the car to slip the two pipes apart.
If the pipes are too rusted together to come apart, you may have to cut the pipes apart.
If your muffler was welded in place, you will have to cut the pipes apart.

Set the asparagus on a clean towel after about 3 minutes. After the asparagus cools down, remove it from the ice water and place it on a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Pat the stalks dry to remove the excess water.