Mother's Day to Father's Day · By the pound
Michigan Fresh Asparagus, Hand-Snapped at Our Commerce Township Farm
Every spring for four short weeks, our asparagus farm on the northwest edge of metro Detroit does it the hard way: hand-snapped above the ground, so there's no tough white butt to trim and waste. You cook and eat nearly all that you buy. Then it's gone until next year.
Check the farm update or call the Hotline at (248) 360-3774 before driving out
Hand-Snapped, Not Cut: Zero Waste Asparagus
Snap it where it wants to snap, and the whole stalk is dinner.
Machine-cut asparagus keeps the woody white base, you pay for the part you throw away. Ours is snapped by hand above the ground, so every stalk in your bag is tender top to bottom. And thickness? That's preference, not quality: medium or thick, all our stalks are tender. It's the difference between a grocery aisle and an asparagus farm.
We sell it by the pound at both stands, and when the day's picking sells out, that's it until tomorrow. Our new asparagus field is coming along too, which means more spears in springs to come.
Michigan Asparagus Season & Stand Hours
Season opensAround Mother's Day
Season runsAbout 4 weeks, to at least Father's Day
Weekdays3 pm to 6 pm, or until we run out
Weekends12 pm to 6 pm, or until we run out
WhereMain Barn lot & the red shed on Bogie Lake Rd
SoldBy the pound
Cool day? The asparagus sleeps in.
Asparagus needs warm weather to grow, so we don't pick every day. The farm update and the Hotline at (248) 360-3774 always have the day's word before you drive out.
How to Care for Fresh Asparagus
Stovetop
Wash and soak spears in hot tap water to remove any sand. Cut into 2 inch pieces. Cook in 1-2 inches of boiling water uncovered for 1-2 minutes, then cover and simmer 4-6 minutes until tender: bright green with a bit of crunch, never mushy. Salt, pepper, butter, cheese, or hollandaise.
Microwave
Place 1 pound in a microwave dish, add ¼ cup water, and cover. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring halfway, then fork test. For frozen asparagus, reduce the water to 2 tablespoons and cook 3-6 minutes.
Freezing
Cut into 1-2 inch pieces (whole spears turn stringy frozen). Blanch in rapidly boiling water 45 seconds to 1 minute, cool immediately in ice water, drain well, and pack in quart freezer bags with no head space. Cook straight from frozen, never refreeze.
Asparagus Recipes From the Farm Kitchen
Asparagus Quiche
1 ½ cups grated cheese · 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell · 1 ½ lbs. asparagus pieces, cooked · 3 eggs · 1 can evaporated milk · ½ tsp. salt · ¼ tsp. pepper · dash nutmeg
Sprinkle cheese in the pie shell, arrange asparagus over it. Beat eggs, add enough milk to the evaporated milk to make 2 cups, combine with eggs and seasoning, and pour over. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes; rest 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 servings.
Cream of Asparagus Soup
1 lb. asparagus pieces · 1 medium onion, chopped · ¼ cup butter · ¼ cup flour · ½ tsp. salt · ¼ tsp. nutmeg (optional) · milk or chicken broth
Cook asparagus, saving the liquid. Soften onion in butter, stir in flour and seasonings until pasty. Add milk or broth to the asparagus juice to make 1 quart, thicken with the flour mixture, then add asparagus and heat. Garnish with shredded cheese or croutons. Serves 6.
Fresh from the field
Michigan Asparagus Guacamole
4 cups (1 lb.) snapped asparagus · 1 small garlic clove, minced · 2 tsp. lime or lemon juice · ¼ cup canned chopped green chiles · ½ tsp. salt · ½ tsp. cumin · 2 Tbs. finely chopped onion · ½ cup chopped tomato
Cook asparagus pieces until tender and drain well. Process with garlic, lime juice, chiles, salt, and cumin until smooth, then stir in onion and tomato. Chill and serve with chips or cut vegetables. Makes 2 cups, and it's fat-free.
Asparagus & Chicken Casserole
2 large chicken breasts · 1 ½ lbs. asparagus pieces · 1 can cream of celery soup · 1 bay leaf · salt & pepper
Simmer chicken with seasoning for 1 hour, cool, and cut into bite-size pieces. Cook and drain the asparagus. Layer asparagus, chicken, and soup in a casserole dish, top with Parmesan or grated cheese, and bake at 450 for 20 minutes.
Worth the four-week wait
Sautéed Asparagus
Asparagus in 1-2 inch pieces · olive oil · onions, mushrooms, pepper to taste
Cover the bottom of a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus once the pan warms and cook 5-10 minutes to your tenderness, tossing in onions or mushrooms along the way. Excellent over rice or with Parmesan right before serving.
Asparagus Questions, Answered
When is asparagus season in Michigan?
Michigan's asparagus season runs roughly May into June, and ours follows right along: about four weeks, usually opening around Mother's Day and running until at least Father's Day. The daily word is always on the farm update and the Hotline.
Why is hand-snapped asparagus better?
Snapping above the ground leaves the tough white base in the field instead of in your bag, so you cook and eat nearly everything you buy, no trimming, no waste.
Are thick stalks tougher than thin ones?
No, that's the myth. Thickness is preference, not quality. Medium or thick, all our stalks are tender because the farmer snaps them fresh. As Michigan asparagus growers go, we're the stubborn, do-it-by-hand kind.
Do you pick asparagus every day?
Not always. Asparagus needs warm temperatures to grow, so on cool days the asparagus fields have nothing ready. Check the farm update or call (248) 360-3774 before driving out.
Where do you sell it, and how?
Fresh local asparagus for sale by the pound at two farm market stands: the Main Barn and Cider Mill lot at 1540 E Commerce Rd, and the red shed on Bogie Lake Rd just north of Commerce Rd.
Is this wild asparagus?
No, ours is farm-grown in our own asparagus fields, not foraged. Wild asparagus does grow along Michigan roadsides in spring, but what you get here is planted, tended, and hand-snapped on the farm.
How long does fresh asparagus last in the fridge?
About 3 to 5 days: trim the ends, stand the spears upright in an inch of water like flowers, and cover loosely. For anything longer, freeze it using the steps above.
What else is at the farm in spring?
Fresh peas follow close behind the asparagus, and by late July the drive-thru sweet corn stand takes over for summer.
Four Weeks. Then It's Gone.
Spring asparagus waits for no one in Commerce Township. Watch the farm update, and come early in the day.