Pickled Asparagus Recipe

When Pam made a comment about her mother-in-law's pickled asparagus, I realized that asparagus was a vegetable that I had never pickled before. Naturally, I had to set out to find a recipe. After looking at several I finally decided to try this recipe from recipezaar.com.



I like using Jelly jars for pickles because they look more decorative; and of course, I think homemade pickles make good gifts. I chose to try the recipe without the optional hot pepper flakes. Since pickles need to sit for a couple of weeks in order to allow the vegetables plenty of time to soak up the flavor from the brine, I will have to be patient to find out how my pickles turned out.

Thank you, Pam, for getting me started on a new quest.

So here's the recipe:

Pickle asparagus in 12 oz jelly jars, which are a little taller than pint jars-just right for the tender portion of an asparagus stalk. Some people like to pack asparagus into jars with the tips down, so that the spears are easy to remove without breaking them, but others think that asparagus looks more attractive with the tips up. Pack your pickles either way.

Ingredients

• 5 cloves garlic, sliced
  
• 15 allspice berries
  
• 30 black peppercorns
  
• 20 coriander seeds
  
• 5 pieces mace or nutmeg
  
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional)
  
• 3 lbs asparagus, trimmed to fit into 12-ounce jelly jars
  
• 2 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
  
• 2 1/2 cups water
  
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pickling salt
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  

Directions

1. Divide the garlic, allspice, peppercorns, coriander, mace or nutmeg, and pepper flakes (if you're using them) among 5, 12-ounce jelly jars.
2. Pack the asparagus vertically in the jars, tips down or up.
3. In a nonreactive saucepan, bring to a boil the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.
4. Pour the hot liquid over the asparagus, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
5. Close the jars with hot two-piece caps.
6. Process the jars for 10 minutes using the water bath method.
7. Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks before eating the asparagus.

High altitude instructions
1,001 - 3,000 feet : increase processing time by 5 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 feet : increase processing time by 10 minutes
6,001 - 8,000 feet : increase processing time by 15 minutes
8,001 - 10,000 feet : increase processing time by 20 minutes