Asparagus spears may be stored and displayed for sale, and sold, in individual containers having a reservoir containing a volume of water, with a group of asparagus spears arranged in the container such that their white tips are in contact with the volume of water. This allows the asparagus spears to be moved from a retail display, to a shopping cart, to a shopping bag, and eventually to a customers home, without having to remove the white tips of the asparagus from contact with the water. One exemplary container has a waist between the first end and the second end of the container and tapers inwardly from the waist toward the first end and toward the second end. This tapering shape permits air to flow between adjacent containers when the containers are packed together for shipping.