One Hundred Dollars a Month

I like produce. I like to grow it. I like to eat it. I like to create recipes with it. I’m also kind of a nerd and like to get to know my produce. I like learning new or fun tidbits of info about the produce I’m growing/eating/baking. If you’re a weirdo like me then buckle up for this new series as I dive into a plethora of produce facts and share them with you.  Here we go:

1. Growing asparagus takes patience, as you won’t see anything edible at the beginning. New crops of asparagus are only grown every 10 to 15 years because they are a perennial vegetable, so they’ll keep coming back every season on their own. If the spears aren’t harvested, they will start to look like ferns and turn into big bushy plants.

2. Asparagus is awesome for you health because it’s rich in saponins, which are a type of phytonutrient credited with reducing cancer risks and assisting in maintaining blood pressure, regulating blood sugar, and controlling blood lipid levels. Read: you should be eating more asparagus!

3. You’ve probably heard that asparagus can make your urine stink. It’s true and is caused by something called asparagusic acid, which the body converts into smelly sulfur-containing compounds, but scientists don’t really know why this only affects some people. Gross and weird.

Recipe for Asparagus Salad

4. Want to avoid a hangover? Eat asparagus! Eating the veggie before you start drinking can help protect your liver. The minerals and amino acids it contains not only protect the liver from toxins, the enzymes in asparagus can help break down the alcohol and alleviate hangovers.

5. Peru is the world’s leading asparagus exporter. In the US, about 90% of all asparagus you see in stores comes from Peru. Who knew?!

6. Germans pretty much only eat white asparagus. White asparagus is also known as “white gold” or the “vegetable of kings” and it’s pretty much all you’ll find in Germany. White asparagus is grown in the dark, and because it never sees sunlight, it does not go through photosynthesis and never turns green! White asparagus is also apparently sweeter than the green variety.

7. Asparagus was first grown in Greece nearly 2,500 years ago! Ancient Greeks and Romans, who gave asparagus it’s name from the Greek root meaning “sprout,” believed asparagus helped prevent bee stings and relieve toothaches.

8. As far back as 160 BC, asparagus is mentioned in writing, including in a manuscript by Cato The Elder, a Roman statesman, who wrote instructions on how to plant asparagus.

9. Asparagus contains absolutely no fat or cholesterol so it’s pretty much the perfect diet food!

10. There is actually a museum dedicated solely to asparagus. The European Asparagus Museum in Bavaria, Germany contains everything and anything you ever wanted to know about asparagus!

Had you heard any of those fun facts before? Do you have any of your own to add? Is there a particular produce item you want to know more about? I take requests!

Grow on,
~ Mavis

P.S. Do you grow asparagus in your garden? If so, I’d love to hear about it. I just placed my order for Millennium Asparagus Crowns from Johnny’s and I’m looking forward to planting it this spring {even if we won’t be able to harvest it the first year}.