White Asparagus in a Jar: How to Eat and Cook It

The white asparagus in the jar is already cooked: gently drain and dry it, then eat it cold, dressed with a vinaigrette or served with mayonnaise. To serve it hot, gently reheat it in a skillet or bake it in the oven topped with ham.

In the fall, when fresh asparagus is no longer available at the market, jarred vegetables save the day. My favorite recipe: ham and béchamel rolls, topped with cheese and served piping hot under the pergola.

Ingredients for 4 people

• 24 white asparagus spears in jars (2 large 720-ml jars)
• 8 thin slices of cooked ham
• 30 g butter, plus a little more for the dish
• 30 g of flour
• 40 cl of whole milk
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 80 g of grated Comté cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper

For 2 people, use 1 jar, 4 slices of ham, and a béchamel sauce made with 15 g of butter, 15 g of flour, and 20 cl of milk.

Preparation: 15 min · Cooking: 25 min

The Step-by-Step Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Gently drain the asparagus, rinse them quickly under cold water if you find the liquid too salty, then place them on paper towels. Dry them thoroughly—that’s the secret to a gratin that doesn’t release water.
2. Prepare the béchamel sauce: melt the butter, add the flour, and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the cold milk while whisking, and let it thicken for 5 minutes over low heat. Season with a little salt and pepper, and add the nutmeg.
3. Remove from the heat and stir half of the cheese into the béchamel sauce.
4. Roll 3 asparagus spears into each slice of ham and arrange the rolls side by side in a buttered baking dish, with the seams facing down.
5. Spread a layer of béchamel sauce and sprinkle the rest of the Comté cheese on top.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Sprinkle with parsley as soon as you take it out of the oven.

My Cooking Tips

• In a skillet: Melt 20 g of butter, add the thoroughly dried asparagus, and let them brown for 2 to 3 minutes on each side without stirring them too much. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and lemon zest—it’s ready.
• Handle them as if they were glass: Since they're already cooked, they're fragile. Slide them out of the jar by tilting it gently rather than poking them with a fork.
• The juice from the jar It's not used in cooking: it's too salty and sour for a sauce—you'd have to be crazy to keep it.
• In a quiche or a cream soup: Cut into pieces in a quiche pan, or blended with 1 cooked potato and 50 cl of broth to make a quick cream soup.

Under the pergola: how to serve

This gratin is served piping hot, with a green salad and country bread to soak up the béchamel sauce. A Cassis white wine or a Bandol rosé pairs well with it—to be enjoyed in moderation. My colleague adds steamed potatoes to make it a complete meal.

You can assemble the dish in the morning, cover it with plastic wrap, and keep it in the fridge, then bake it at the last minute, adding 5 minutes to the cooking time. Leftovers will keep for 2 days in the fridge. On those sweltering late-season days, I tend to serve the asparagus cold with a vinaigrette, and I save the gratin for evenings when we close the slats on the pergola.

Your Questions

How do you eat jarred asparagus?

They are ready to eat: cold, as an appetizer with a vinaigrette, mayonnaise, or yogurt sauce; or hot, after reheating them for 2 to 3 minutes in a skillet, baking them au gratin, or steaming them for a few minutes. Avoid boiling them, as they will fall apart.

Should you rinse jarred asparagus?

This isn't necessary, but a quick rinse under cold water helps reduce the juice's salty and tangy taste. Then pat them dry with paper towels. For a gratin or a stir-fry, drying them is more important than rinsing them.

Is jarred asparagus any good?

Yes, as long as you take them for what they are: more tender and sweeter than fresh asparagus, with a slight tang. Choose large, plump spears. They’re no substitute for spring asparagus, but they’re a great option in the fall and winter.

How do you eat green asparagus from a jar?

Just like the white ones, but even more delicate, since they're thinner. They're perfect served cold in a salad, on a slice of bread with fresh cheese, or added to an omelet just before it's done cooking.

How long does an opened jar of asparagus last?

Once opened, store it in the refrigerator with the asparagus covered in their own juices, and consume them within 2 to 3 days. When unopened, the jar will keep until the date indicated on the label, stored in a cool cupboard.