For Astronauts on Mars, the Veggie of the Day May Be Asparagus

Space .com ^ | 1101/219 | Meghan Bartels

[fieldmarshaldj]

*make Mars smell like rancid piss ping*

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks fieldmarshaldj. If they don't mind eating for a mere three or four weeks a year, they're all set. ;^)

[Jack Hammer]

Asparagus without butter?

Good luck Martians!

[PIF]

yeah and asparagus needs butter which cannot be made on Mars. But raw asparagus is actually tasty as are raw peas and corn.

[PIF]

Long term radiation in space problem was solved by Project Orion back in the 1960s, but was cancelled due to irrational fears and politics.

Humans will continue to go into space as soon as there is political will to do so. Expense will not be an issue, except to curmudgeons. Many years for the US means perhaps 5 - unless the Chinese go back sooner.

[cgbg]

NASA has gotten into “wishing and hoping” mode.

They believe in magic—it is all they have left.

[Adder]

That would make for some smelly recycled water...

[GingisK]

Humans MUST go to the stars lest the whole human race die of a single event.

[TXnMA]

Asparagus is amazing stuff.

When I worked in the desert of New Mexico, a dry-land farmer who worked with me invited me home to dinner. One dish was some of the best cream of asparagus soup I'd ever tasted.

After sunset, as we walked around his place, he asked, "How would you like some of the asparagus my wife used in that soup?" I responded, "You bet! Where do you grow it?"

He pointed to an absolutely barren patch of ground, with a dry ditch running across it, and said, "I'll bring you some tomorrow..."

~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, he put a grocery bag full of fresh, 4"-5" asparagus sprouts on my desk. Then, when I tracked him down, he said, Come on back, and I'll show you the crop". So, I did...

There, all along the banks of that ditch, was asparagus sprouts -- "as thick as hairs on a dog's back"!

Then he explained, "I knew that last night was my night to receive my allocation of irrigation water from the river. When the water flowed in, that stuff popped up so fast, you could literally hear it pushing the soil aside as it grew!

~~~~~~~~~

That "volunteer" asparagus was a bit strong-flavored, but, it did make sone of the best soup I ever tasted! And, it froze just fine...

All it took to grow it was alkaline, sandy soil -- and a little bit of water...

TXnMA
  

[DAC21]

“Awesome. It only takes 2 a 3 years to establish a crop”

Yes but it is one of only a couple vegetables that reproduce year after year without replanting. This one can go for 20 years before dying off.