My family loves pickled asparagus and right now it is asparagus season. If you can find seconds (The ones that are too big or small for the store.) you will get a better deal. Working with a farmer directly reduces the cost for you and increases the profit for the farmer. A win-win situation.
The first step is to wash and drain the asparagus spears in a colander.
Next, I will use a knife to cut the spears to the proper length for my jars. This recipe cans one quart-sized jar or two pint-sized jars of pickled asparagus. To cut the spears to size, first I choose a spear that is bigger or differently shaped than the rest. I do this so the spear can be easily tracked and identified as I cut multiple batches of spears. I situate the spear against the jar to just below the shoulder and just above the bottom.
Cut the first spear and use it to cut enough spears to fill your jar(s). You will need approximately 1 pound or 30 spears (depending on spear thickness).
Pickled Asparagus INGREDIENTs
Asparagus (about 1 pound or 30 spears)
1/3 cup salt (for brine)
1 2/3 cup white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon non-iodized saltÂ
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 1/2 teaspoon dill seed
1 small onion (cut in rounds)
2/3 cup sugar
optional: garlic cloves and whole jalapeno peppers
2 sprigs fresh dill
1/8 tsp pepper powder or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Place the cut asparagus in a bowl with 1/3 cup of salt, cover the spears with water and allow to sit for 2 hours.
Making the Pickling Brine
Once the 2 hours have elapsed, make the pickling brine by combining the following:
1 2/3 cup of white distilled vinegar (do not use apple cider vinegar)
1 teaspoon of non-iodized salt
1 teaspoon of mustard seed
1 1/2 teaspoon of dill seed
1 small onion (cut in rounds)
2/3 cup of sugar.
Bring the liquid brine to a boil.
Filling Your Jars
Next, place a small amount of pickle liquid in the bottom of a hot jar, drain the asparagus and place it in the jar, (optional addition of garlic cloves and whole jalapeno peppers).
I like to hold all the asparagus tightly together and place them in at once.
Since the mouth is smaller than the body of the jar, if I tilt the jar on its side I can usually fit a few more asparagus in.
Add 2 sprigs of dill, garlic, jalapenos and 1/8 tsp of pepper powder or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I prefer the flakes).
Use a jar funnel and pour the liquid and onions over the asparagus. Tuck the onions in between the spears. Pour in the remaining liquid up to 1/4 inch headspace. Place lid and ring on the jar fingertip tight and process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes if at sea level. (10 minutes for pint-size jars)
When the time has elapsed, I turn off the heat, remove the lid and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Then, I place the jars 1-2 inches apart on a heat-resistant surface and let them rest for 24 hours. After that I remove the rings, wash them with hot soapy water and store them in a cool, dry, dark location. Home canned goods should be used in the first 1-3 years, after that the nutrition begins to decrease. If any jars did not seal, place them in the refrigerator and use them in the next 3 months. It will take them about 3 weeks to absorb the brine and taste their best.
If you have any questions about canning with the boiling water bath or need to know the proper altitude adjustment, take a look at a few of our canning basics videos.
