What’s the right way to trim asparagus?

April 6, 2025 by
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When I was learning to cook, a friend showed me how to snap asparagus spears to remove the tough ends and keep only the tender parts. I dutifully did this tedious prep until I read an article that said it was a waste of time. Instead, it was better to just cut them all across the board because any difference between the stalks would be minimal. I wondered if there was indeed a “right” way to trim asparagus. Turns out there are three right ways, according to the chefs that Food & Wine consulted on this topic.

Asparagus and prosciutto bundles from Make it Ahead by Ina Garten

Chicago chef Stephanie Izard insists that you need to trim each stalk individually. “Not all asparagus are created equally,” she explains. “So you really have to feel around [to find] where the woody part of the stalk meets the fibrous part for the best spot to snap it. It’s a one-at-a-time kind of thing.” However, chef Karyn Tomlinson says that as long as the spears are close to the same size, you can snap one or two for reference and then just cut where they snap.

Another chef, Damarr Brown, goes one step further. He not only trims the ends (using a knife), but he also peels them to make sure they are tender. “I think for most everyday preparation, it’s best to cut off around one inch at the bottom, and then to use a Y-peeler to take off the outer layer of the bottom half of the asparagus,” he says. So there you go – whatever way you are trimming your asparagus, it is probably the right way.

Category: Cooking Tips

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5 Comments

  • Indio32  on  April 6, 2025

    I’m with Stephanie Izard on this one.

  • Fyretigger  on  April 6, 2025

    Every time I’ve done anything but individual snapping I’ve ended up with woody bits, so I am a confirmed individual snapper.

  • eliza  on  April 6, 2025

    I grow my own asparagus, and the spears are often quite huge. I snap them off, then peel the base part to reveal the edible insides. When you grow it yourself, you don’t want to waste any of it. And about 95% of mine gets eaten raw straight from the garden.

  • FuzzyChef  on  April 8, 2025

    Didn’t ATK or CI do a test a while back, that showed that “snapping” doesn’t accurately remove the “woody” part any more than cutting with a knife does?

  • sanfrannative  on  April 8, 2025

    I’m a snapper and a skinner : )

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