It just dawned on me when reading Helen’s comment on strawberries that I have seen asparagus just once in my local NW and they looked desiccated so didn’t buy at $6 a bunch. That was a week ago. Is asparagus in short supply or is it still a bit early? There is only one supermarket where I am. Also what do you pay at NW where you live?

We've had several bunches over the past few weeks. One of the early bunches I bought was $5, not from a supermarket. The quality's been fine. I see from New World online current New World price is $4 for a 250g bunch [www.ishopnewworld.co.nz]

Thanks J1, I will need to go to NW later today and shall enquire about the lack of asparagus here. Your link shows 250g at $6.99 which I find horrendously expensive for this time of the year. I love asparagus but I am not so desperate that I will pay this much for the privilege of eating it.

Oooh it must have tracked your location and changed it to suit the price of it in your area! I'd had tracking blocked when it gave me the $4 price so I just unblocked now to see what price it would give me based on my true location but it is still the same $4 for 250g bunch.

Really it just goes to show the price manipulation you're having to put up with when you're served by one supermarket only! We have three supermarkets here (two are Foodstuffs and one is the Oz group), plus an excellent local fourth alternative to add to the competition even more.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2019 05:21AM by J1.

Went to NW late afternoon and there was asparagus for $3.99 and this week’s flyer advertises 250g for $2.99. Things are finally looking up.

Does anyone else find it a nuisance that the 'sorters' always do mixed bunches of thick and thin stems. I like to be able to select the stems I prefer for whatever reason; either all thick or all thin. Petty but annoying.

Yes! Having a mixture of sizes makes no sense at all. I prefer the very thin asparagus when I can find it, my husband prefers the thick stems, but we're both just grateful for finding it in good condition.

I've been buying from Countdown, I've been pleased with the quality and the price ($3.50/bunch yesterday I think). It's not gritty, which is something I can't stand, and they seem to be sorted into bunches of thick or thin, as I was able to get a nice bunch of thin stems.

We prefer really fat stems and the bunches seem to be bundled into thick, medium and thin. Might depend on the grower perhaps.

Asparagus very weather affected - frost, hail etc. There are fewer growers and it is very labour intensive, also Watties no longer canning it at their Hastings factory. At around $12- $16kg is a pretty good price.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/2019 08:33PM by Annie H.

I bought some from Countdown a couple of days ago and they were flavourless. I'm waiting for them to turn up at our local farmers' market. Fortunately we've still got one grower who turns up about this time every year...

And today at NW there was loads of fresh asparagus, beautifully sorted and bunched separately in fat, medium and thin stems. Someone was listening!

Stephanie39 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And today at NW there was loads of fresh
> asparagus, beautifully sorted and bunched
> separately in fat, medium and thin stems. Someone
> was listening!

Same in my neck of the woods.

I was in our local supermarket today (Co^ntdown), 2 bunches for $6, they had definitely sorted into three grades, thin, medium and thick. Brand was "T*nd*r Tips". I cooked some at the weekend, medium stems, nuked for 2 minutes, then into oven with a bit more water, drizzled in olive oil, and a few dabs of butter. Oven wasn't heated when I put them in, so took a bit longer, but 10 minutes later the 2 asparagus dislikers hoovered down the best asparagus either had tasted!

I did some last week, 2 med-thick stems wrapped in a slice of streaky bacon and cooked in a hot oven for about 10mins.
Oh my they were divine and my visitors were well pleased.

Raewyn G

I've found this year that oven cooking concentrates the flavour. Have given up on that 'wrapped and nuked' nonsense!

Char-grilling concentrates the flavour too. I use a cast iron ridged grill pan and oil the asparagus well before grilling it just until the stalk has a few grill marks. Sometimes the heads will get a bit crisp but that is still delicious and makes a change from boiled asparagus.

We haven't replaced a ridged grill pan that we gave to one of our 'young' ... it's time we did.