The title of this post may have lead you to believe that this is the best pickled asparagus recipe. And that, my friends, would be a correct statement.
Though I'm not sure where the recipe originated, as many of these preserved and pickled foods go, I do know that I've been using it successfully for over five seasons now and am ever impressed by it's spicy deliciousness.
Yes, deliciousness is a word.
Okay, that was a lie. But who cares. You get my point. This recipe is FANTASTIC. Hence the title: the best pickled asparagus recipe.
And yes, as you may have guessed from the creamed asparagus soup recipe we made last week, it's still asparagus season around these parts. Asparagus, strawberries, lettuce, and spinach are the first beauties to show their faces this time of year. And as we anxiously anticipate the full-blown preservation season that we're heading into, it's nice to begin slowly with the preservation of asparagus.
Here's how we preserve other vegetables, like carrots and beets:
Though it's possible to freeze asparagus, my favorite asparagus consumption is as follows:
1. Eat it like a glutton from when it's in season
2. Pickle it
Maybe it's because I've been pregnant three times in the last four years that I love this recipe so much. After all (stereotypical-pregnant woman here) I love all things pickled when I'm pregnant. I also love warm baths, food rubs, and afternoon naps. Ahem. But regardless of the reason I love pickled asparagus, I know you'll love it too. And it's not too late to get some put up for your winter enjoyment!
The Best Pickled Asparagus Recipe
For more wonderful recipes check out our cooking community.
For each quart jar, you will need:
– 1 clove of garlic
– 1/2 teaspoon organic red pepper flakes
– 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
– 1 teaspoon organic dill
– 1 teaspoon organic dried oregano
– 1 teaspoon organic mustard seeds
– 1/2 teaspoon organic black peppercorns
– 10-20 spears of fresh & local asparagus, depending on spear size
Directions:
1. Wash and sterilize your mason jars. Line up on the counter like little ducks in a row.
2. Into each jar, put the garlic, red pepper flakes, sea salt, dill seeds, dried oregano, mustard seeds, and black peppercorns.
3. Wash the asparagus and cut the bottom of the stem off so that the asparagus fits into the quart jar. Gently stuff each quart jar with as many asparagus spears as it will hold.
4. You should now have quart jars shoved full of spices and asparagus spears – correct? Correct.
5. Heat up a vinegar brine to near boiling – 50% filtered water to 50% white vinegar. The amounts you'll need will vary depending on how many quart jars you're processing.
6. Once the vinegar brine is heated up, gently pour it into each asparagus filled quart jar, leaving 1/4″ head space at the top. Secure a sterilized lid and band onto each quart jar.
7. Process the asparagus for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. Gently remove and set on the counter to seal.
Stuart and I put up 25 pounds of asparagus in just under and hour and a half – not too bad for over 15 quarts of pickled asparagus! On top of the other pickled products we put up throughout the summer like green beans and cucumbers, that'll be plenty to see us through the winter.
Did I mention I love pickles? Oh, I did? Perfect. I just wanted to be clear.
I also love getting to see our canning room already filling up with spring goodness. It's been cleaned out and reorganized in preparation for this growing season and is ready to be filled to the gills with peaches, pears, cherries, apricots, relish, jams, pickles, and more!
Trust me – my energy is fleeting. By the end of August, I'll no doubt be cursing canning recipes. But for now, at the beginning of this wonderful season, I'll be thankful for the best pickled asparagus recipe known to man and the joy that it brings my little heart.
And my stomach.
And Amen.
The Best Pickled Asparagus Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon organic red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon organic dill
- 1 teaspoon organic dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon organic mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon organic black peppercorns
- 10-20 spears of fresh & local asparagus depending on spear size
Instructions
- Wash and sterilize your mason jars. Line up on the counter like little ducks in a row.
- Into each jar, put the garlic, red pepper flakes, sea salt, dill seeds, dried oregano, mustard seeds, and black peppercorns.
- Wash the asparagus and cut the bottom of the stem off so that the asparagus fits into the quart jar. Gently stuff each quart jar with as many asparagus spears as it will hold.
- You should now have quart jars shoved full of spices and asparagus spears.
- Heat up a vinegar brine to near boiling - 50% filtered water to 50% white vinegar. The amounts you'll need will vary depending on how many quart jars you're processing.
- Once the vinegar brine is heated up, gently pour it into each asparagus filled quart jar, leaving 1/4" head space at the top. Secure a sterilized lid and band onto each quart jar.
- Process the asparagus for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. Gently remove and set on the counter to seal.
Where do you get your asparagus? Grocery store? Or are you lucky enough to have people who grow lots near you?
Tons of local farmers grow asparagus around here so we can always get it from a little roadside vendor.
I am turning a little green! It will be off to the grocery store for me:/ I am trying to decide if this recipe will be my first canning attempt ever.
All of our farmers will ship asparagus anywhere. You can order or and they ship it in large flat rate priority so you get it 2 or 3 days after it’s picked. I know it’s not fresh that day but it’s much better than from the store.
Wild asparagus grows on the side of the road here in Northwest Iowa this time of year. It’s insane. My wife brings home pounds of it every couple days.
Or just use a sea salt brine and let it sit on the counter for three days. Seal tightly and refrigerate. Lasts for months in the fridge and I do my pickles the same way. No heating to destroy enzymes. And salt is far preferable for pickling than vinegar. I still have sauerkraut in my fridge from last Sept and it is perfect.
I love preserving this way too Denise but I tend to run out of fridge space (even with a spare!) if I put all my vegetables and pickles up this way. I try and do a bit of both!
I do a lot of fermenting too, but also don’t have enough fridge space to store. I need a cave ha ha
Could you send me your recipe?
Denise, tell me about the sea salt brine please!
I came across this recipe this morning-after my daughter gave me a big bag of asparagus she bought at a local farm. I have 4 jars on the stove now. Thank you for this! My first canning of the season-doesn’t really start for me for a few more weeks when the strawberries are ready.
Any suggestions for finding organic white distilled vinegar? Thanks.
Health food stores usually carry it!
Wondering if this recipe is very hot. I see it has red pepper flakes. I am hoping it has some kick
Just finished my asparagus using your recipe! Brought back asparagus from Mexico in a duffel bag! I carried it in the plane We were home in 4 hours. Put it in refrigerator and canned them yesterday, got 10 quarts. They are so beautiful! My question- how long before we can taste them? Can’t wait!!
I’ve never tried pickled asparagus. I LOVE fresh asparagus, but I’m intrigued with this recipe. Actually, the post name and the photos sold me. 🙂
You’ve gotta try! It’s SO GOOD!
I tried your recipe for the “Best Pickled Asparagus” some months ago. After about a month, I opened one of the pints, and I wasn’t too impressed. However, after about 4 months, I tried the asparagus again, and it is so awesome! I’m glad I found the recipe again as I just bought several lbs. of fresh asparagus and I’m putting up several pints this weekend. Letting it “pickle” for the 4 months really made a difference in the taste. Thank you for sharing the recipe! Happy canning!
We love all things pickled, too! When I pickle asparagus, my spears get wrinkly and I’m left with a lot of space at the bottom of the jar after the water bath (even though they are cut to the size of the jar before canning). Any suggestions on how to prevent these two things? They still taste yummy.
We have asparagus coming out of
our ears each year, so glad to have this recipe! I canned 12 quart jars yesterday in no time flat! Very exciting for us! How long before they can be eaten? Thanks again! 🙂
You can eat it right away, if you’d like!
If I bought pint & half jars could I use those without too much math changes? 🙂
Can I use pint & half jars without changing the math & cook times?
The box my pint and half jars said to process the same as quarts
I can grow bananas, lemons and mangoes and everything else in the world. But, here in south Florida asparagus has trouble. This, peaches and quality nuts are the only things I pine after. My 2 lonely plants have produced occasional shoots for my wife and I to eat, but nothing even close to the volume where I could consider canning. I am so jealous.
How long does the pickled asparagus have to sit before you can eat it? A week? Six weeks?
I usually give it a month!
I just finished canning 3 quarts of these. The 1/4 tsp of sea salt seems like quite a small amount? Every other canning recipe calls for quite a bit more.
When yu drop jars in water bath do you start timing it immediately or wait for it to come to a boil?
Wait for it to come to a boil 🙂
How long to let it pickle b4 eating????
Or did I miss something?
Was wondering if the asparagus stay crisp when they are done? I want to try it, but when I discussed it with a friend she said to try it only if they stay crisp after pickling. Thanks for any response you provide.
The secret to canning crispy is to put the veggies in an ice water bath before jarring. Lots of ice cubes.
I have my pickled asparagus in the hot water bath now, this recipe sounds so good. Thank you!
Morning Shaye
This recipe looks delicious. I do a lot of pickling and have always used pickling salt. Can that be used in place of Sea Salt? Would the amts need to be changed? Also can you put the mustard seed and salt into the brine instead of the individual jars? Asking these questions because I will be doing about 120 jars. Could really use your help. You need to post this recipe for bulk canning? Thanks for any help you could give.
This looks so great! I have yet to try pickled asparagus, but I’ve gathered a couple different recipes for it so I can give it a shot the next time I decide to pickle my own veggies! I have tried onions, pickles and eggs but I have yet to go for asparagus. I am definitely going to give it a shot! Thank you for sharing!
Tried pickled asparagus in Bloody Mary’s at a bar this is my first attempt at pickling anything.
I made this last spring and everyone who tried the asparagus loved it. Planning on making a larger batch this weekend now that availability and price is good. By the way deliciousness is a word.
I just made these on friday, how long should they sit before you eat them? a couple weeks?
Looks wonderful…do the spears stay crunchy with this method?
Thank you!
I made 12x quarts of pickled asparagus tonight, following this recipe exactly. I had one jar that did not seal properly, so I decided to sample a spear or two before reprocessing. I’m hopeful they’ll develop well in a month or two, but my initial thought was the oregano was overpowering and potentially out of place. I think I’d cut the amount or omit next time and double the garlic.
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I think these will make a lovely addition to the basket of homemade treats I’m preparing for my neighbors and friends for the holidays.
This is the 3rd year we are using this recipe and everyone who tries them just raves about them! Just put up 12 quarts last night with our first big batch of pickings from the garden. We omit the oregano (our family just does not like oregano in anything) and doubled the garlic cloves and added 1/4 tsp turmeric to each jar. TOTAL deliciousness!! 😉
I tried it and for whatever reason it looks as if the asparagus stalks are shriveled like if they were overcooked. They look nothing like fresh asparagus at all.
The jars are cooling right now so i have a couple days to wait to see how they came out but if it’s mushy and gross, it’s a waste of time and good asparagus.
Is this how it’s supposed to be? Did i mess up?
What is the best place to store these jars?