Summarize the following:
Spears thicker than a pen will hold up better to freezing than thinner asparagus. Choose fresh, in-season asparagus that has not gone limp or woody. Avoid asparagus that is brown or discolored; it won't taste good after freezing. Chop about one inch from the ends of the asparagus. The chewy texture of the ends is unpleasant, especially after freezing, so make sure you get rid of the entire dry or woody part. In order to retain its flavor, asparagus should be blanched before freezing. This is the process of boiling the asparagus for about 30 seconds and removing it from heat before it loses its crunch. The asparagus is plunged into ice water to stop it from cooking. Boil a large pot of water and prepare a large bowl of ice water. In order for the asparagus to blanch evenly, it's best to chop it into smaller pieces. If you'd prefer to leave the stalks intact, that's fine, but the flavor may be compromised. If your spears are extra-thick, boil them for longer; if they're thin, boil them for just thirty seconds. Monitor the asparagus carefully so you don't end up overcooking it. Use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer it to the ice bath so it can cool down and stop cooking. Leave it in the ice bath for the same amount of time you boiled it, then transfer it to a colander to let it drain and dry. Lay out the pieces on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place the sheet in the freezer. Freeze the asparagus for about one hour, until each piece is slightly ice. Flash freezing the asparagus before longer-term storage will keep the pieces from freezing together into a solid mass. Put the frozen pieces into a freezer bag or a plastic freezer container. Pack it as tightly as possible in order to remove most of the air. Label the container with the date. Frozen asparagus will keep for up to a year in properly cold conditions. There's no need to thaw asparagus before cooking; just add it to soups and other dishes frozen.
Choose fresh, thick asparagus spears. Chop off the woody ends. Boil water and prepare an ice bath. Chop the asparagus into one-inch pieces. Boil the asparagus for one minute. Transfer the asparagus to the ice bath. Flash freeze the asparagus. Transfer the asparagus to a freezer-safe container.