Is this canned Asparagus any good

I've heard the same recommendation before - the idea is that if asparagus is very thick (say, 1/2 inch or more in diameter), and if the bottom is much thicker than the top of the spear, then peeling it will help it to cook more evenly.

If you have particularly thick asparagus that seem tough, you may want to peel the bottom section. First, chop or snap off the bottom inch or so, as it will most likely be inedibly tough. Then peel the next 2-3 inches up. You'll want to lay the asparagus down on a flat surface to do so, so as not to snap it while peeling.

I've never had asparagus from a grocery store that was tough enough to warrant this, but it can happen with homegrown, for whatever reason.

Martha's Vinyard Magazine suggests that the diamater of the stalks is not directly related to their age as one might suspect:

Some might assume thinner spears are younger and therefore more tender. The diameter, however, has more to do with the age of the plant itself and the particular asparagus variety.

They go on to cite Cook's Illustrated, saying:

[T]hin and thick spears as equally sweet, nutty, and grassy, but ... thicker spears have a slightly better, more tender texture. The reason is that the fiber is somewhat more concentrated in thinner spears.

You can peel asparagus if you choose to. Personally, I peel the base of thicker stalks. Mark Bittman recommends peeling from just under the flowers to the base of the stalk on the thicker stalks.

Thinner stalks may be easier to saute or grill, and thicker ones more suited to steaming, poaching, and so on, but this is more related to the time it takes them to cook through.

See also:

• Mark Bittman writing in the New York Times
• Better Homes and Gardens
• Martha's Vinyard Magazine