why is asparagus so expensive? (tuna, vegetable, consumers, grocery store)

[nickerman]

I went to the grocery store yesterday and asparagus was almost $5 for a little bundle of them. Never bought them before so I can't compare prices from what they were in the past. Were they always that espensive?

[weezycom]

asparagus is out of season in the US right now, so it's being imported from Central America. The farms down there don't have the sheer volume of US production when it's the season for asparagus, so the Cent America smaller crops have to cover a larger group of consumers (all of the continental US). Supply and demand. In season, asparagus from relatively local farms will run about $2-$3/lb.

[Missy2U]

^^^^Exactly. In the spring, it usually runs around $3 a pound. Give it another month or so - it'll go down.

[jlawrence01]

Kroger's had it on sale last week for $1.47/ bu. Unfortunately, it is $2.99 this week.

[TempeAZnative]

paid $.89 last weekend at Spouts haven't checked what it is this week.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by TempeAZnative

paid $.89 last weekend at Spouts haven't checked what it is this week.

No fair! I haven't seen cheap asparagus in quite a while. The cheap stuff didn't didn't look very good, either.

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by TempeAZnative

paid $.89 last weekend at Spouts haven't checked what it is this week.

Damn, I miss Sprouts! But they are opening one here later this year.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by nickerman

I went to the grocery store yesterday and asparagus was almost $5 for a little bundle of them. Never bought them before so I can't compare prices from what they were in the past. Were they always that espensive?

Asparagus is expensive because the part you eat is the green* shoot of a woody plant. The green shoots are only on the plant for a brief time. Traditionally, it was a vegetable that was only available in early spring for that reason, but now it is imported from other parts of the world. It is cheapest in early spring locally.

*I can hear someone shrieking, "but but but I've seen WHITE asparagus!" Yes, you have. Remember 6th grade science when you learned that the green in plants is formed from sunlight? Well, if you cover the plant before the shoots come in, the green doesn't form, and that's how you get the white version.

[luv4horses]

Mightyqueen801 is absolutely right. Asparagus cultivation requires considerable attention to detail. It grows from a bulb (lily family) and may take 3 yrs to get the first little stem to harvest. I needs raised rows, can't tolerate wet conditions, but needs cool winters. Weed control is tough. There are male and female plants so you need the right mix. A year's crop is usually harvested over two weeks, so it is not available in each perfect location for very long. I'm just glad we can buy it when it is in season.

[jim9251]

I pick my own here along irrigation ditches, grows wild.