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Asparagus is one of the finer things in life.
Bought fresh from your local farmer, steamed and enjoyed with butter, new potatoes and fresh chervil or parsley from the garden.
Can’t beat it.
The season used to run from late April until June 24 – St John’s day – but this year, it’s been on the market for a week or more already.
At €12 a kilo – twice what you’ll pay in season.
How come?
Well, it’s economics, innit Brian.
A scarce good, combined with an irrational and price-insensitive (read: salivating) market will rack up prices in any free market environment.
Add the “first-to-market factor” and you’re away.
So how do you get to be first to market?
You force the crop by covering the fields with black plastic. And this year they’re using foil tunnels on top of the plastic for the first time, which turbocharges the whole scam even more.
And what you get?
The equivalent of the hothouse tomato.
Watery. Tasteless. Rubbish
Cheating! Boo. Hiss…
Mainz Daily Photo 
>What a crime! Asparagus is so good and so tasty! Your photo clearly demonstrates the technique. Watery asparagus indeed!
>Almost makes me glad I don’t like asparagus anyway
>Great post. And no sun on the top what a pitty!Same story here, you can almost find any kind of fruit or vegetable all year, but they are watery and not tasty. I agree berk!
>All of this grows “wild” in my backyard. I planted it once 44 years ago and it returns each year. Has that live homegrown taste.