Pickled Asparagus

It's that time of year for asparagus!  This is the first year we've been mostly on top of the every-other-day asparagus picking.  We've been eating asparagus fresh, sautéed, grilled and roasted.  Yum!

My new thing this year was to try pickling asparagus.  I used my favorite pickling recipe, and I've got my first batch done.  Of course we had to try it right away.  It was delicious!  Pickle-y, with a nice crunch and great asparagus flavor.  A great way to use up your extra fresh asparagus!  I'll be making several more batches this year to preserve for the winter.

How do you like to eat your asparagus? 

Crisp Pickled Asparagus

• 50 - 100 spears of asparagus (depending on their thickness)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 cups water
• 6 cups white distilled vinegar
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 6 tablespoons pickling salt
• 2 teaspoons celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons mustard seed
• 2 tablespoons dill weed
• 2 teaspoons peppercorns
• 6 -12 cloves of garlic

Wash and sterilize your mason jars.  I used a mix of quarts and pints, since I had varying lengths of asparagus.  Get the brine going by placing the sugar, water, white and cider vinegars, pickling salt, red pepper flakes and celery seed in a large pot.   Heat to a nice simmer, and make sure the sugar and salt are dissolved.  Meanwhile, while the brine is heating, in each jar, place 2 cloves of garlic, 1 to 2 teaspoons mustard seed, 1 - 2 teaspoons dill weed and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon peppercorns.  Wash the asparagus (my Grandma always says to wash it twice to get all the dirt out).  Cut off the bottom of the stem off so it fits into your jars appropriately. 

Pour the hot brine into each jar that has been filled with asparagus, leaving 1/2 inch headspace at the top.  Wipe rim and place sterilized lid and band onto each jar.  Tighten to finger-tip tightness. 

Process the quarts for 15 minutes and the pints for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.  Gently remove and let sit on a towel-covered counter, undisturbed, until cool.  When cool, check to make sure each jar is sealed by pressing down on the center of the lid.  If it wiggles, the seal is bad and the jar didn't seal.  Put in the fridge and eat right away (cooks treat).  Store the rest of your jars in a cool, dark place.