Quick Dips

Life Of Asparagus

A study of more than 3,000 spears of asparagus by a Victoria University postgraduate student may lead to a better export market for asparagus. Masters student Natalie Walker has found that chilling the vegetable to 2.5^oC slows its metabolism.

"Once they are back at room temperature, the metabolism increases again. After a few days they tend to develop tip-rot, when the tips go mushy and smell nasty," says Walker.

Her work has been able to extend asparagus shelf life by a day, although she had hoped to gain an extra week. Asparagus have to be air-freighted to their markets, and any extension of shelf life is welcomed by growers. There are hopes to use the technique to develop an effective shipping method to reduce costs and expand exports.

Walker has also tried inhibiting the production of ethylene, which occurs in the early stages of deterioration, and dipping the asparagus in a dilute calcium chloride solution. The calcium dip helped preserve the spears but sometimes affected the taste.

Tasting wasn't part of Walker's programme, which was probably just as well -- she doesn't actually like asparagus.