Here is what I know.
Hop aspraragus is young hop shoots.
Hop Asparagus is called Jets de Houblon in Belgium.
In this article it says that the shoots are harvested early before flowering. I'm not sure how much one could harvest without putting your hop flower harvest at risk or if you might be able to get away with a late harvest if your intention is to pickle. (See Below)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4558643.stm
Pickled
I recently saw pickled Hop Asparagus, made by HopsDirect.com (Peterbaugh Farms), used in Bloody Marys at the Milwaukee Ale House. It was very similar to having a pickled spear of asparagus and had a similar stringy texture.
There was no bitter flavor at all (Why would there be, after all).
I looked at the hopsdirect site and so no mention of the product. I took a picture of the jar with my cell phone, so maybe I can post a pic later.
So my questions to the veteran harvesters are...
1) Is there an opportunity to harvest some shoots early?
2) Do we think that older shoots can be pickled and still retain some quality?
Hop aspraragus is young hop shoots.
The Hop shoot is tender and delicate and is usually eaten in a similar way to traditional asparagus - quickly steamed or boiled and served with butter or lemon juice - although there are a number of more exotic recipes for this vegetable. With a short season, until around the end of May,
Hop Asparagus is called Jets de Houblon in Belgium.
In this article it says that the shoots are harvested early before flowering. I'm not sure how much one could harvest without putting your hop flower harvest at risk or if you might be able to get away with a late harvest if your intention is to pickle. (See Below)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4558643.stm
Pickled
I recently saw pickled Hop Asparagus, made by HopsDirect.com (Peterbaugh Farms), used in Bloody Marys at the Milwaukee Ale House. It was very similar to having a pickled spear of asparagus and had a similar stringy texture.
There was no bitter flavor at all (Why would there be, after all).
I looked at the hopsdirect site and so no mention of the product. I took a picture of the jar with my cell phone, so maybe I can post a pic later.
So my questions to the veteran harvesters are...
1) Is there an opportunity to harvest some shoots early?
2) Do we think that older shoots can be pickled and still retain some quality?