The process of growing a vegetable garden rewards you with healthy and tasty veggies, especially a bountiful harvest of fresh asparagus. Canning and pickling asparagus mean that you get to enjoy those crunchy veggies all year round. Learn how to pickle asparagus using a variety of recipes for both short and long term storage.
Asparagus season is short and tasty, but it’s easy to benefit from those asparagus spears all year if you pickle them. Enjoy asparagus pickles as appetizers with grilled burgers and home fries or toss them in a bloody Mary.
Pickling your veggies is not only a yummy way to store them, but it’s easy to change the flavor by adding a mix of your favorite spices.
Pickling Asparagus for the Refrigerator and Pantry
Of course, asparagus right from the garden is delicious, but if you have a surplus, it can be challenging to keep asparagus fresh until you can use it. Pickling is the perfect answer to this dilemma.
Quickly pickling vegetables gives you a little more variety to this important food group and adds some zing to what may otherwise be a pretty bland veggie. Pickling asparagus is a great way to preserve your veggies, and there are many different ways to pickle them.
Make refrigerator pickles as one of the yummy ways to preserve asparagus and store them for up to four months or can the pickled asparagus and keep them in the pantry for three to five years. Here are several recipes, from mild and basic to zesty and advanced.
Choosing Tasty Asparagus for Pickling
It’s essential to choose the best veggie for optimal flavor before you pickle or freeze fresh asparagus. It’s easy to think that size is an indicator of good, healthy asparagus, but this isn’t true.
Healthy Asparagus
When choosing healthy asparagus, pick violet-tinged or bright green spears that have firm stems. Check the tips and make sure they are compact and closed. Avoid woody stalks and spears that are limp and spongy. If you squeeze the bunch together, healthy asparagus makes a squeaking sound.
How to Pickle Asparagus for Refrigerator Storage
One of the best ways to preserve asparagus is by pickling. The good news is that you do not need a water bath canner to pickle asparagus. It’s easy to make refrigerator pickles and store them in the fridge for at least one month.
Store and keep asparagus fresh until you are ready to pickle the spears. Prepare the asparagus by cleaning, peeling, and snapping the veggies. Place the spears in pint jars, tip side up, and add the dill and pepper flakes. Add the water, vinegar, peppercorns, and salt to a medium pan and bring to a boil for one minute.
Cover the asparagus with the hot brine, leaving a quarter-inch of headspace. Wipe rims and place the lids on the jars, but do not tighten. Allow them to cool for ten minutes before tightening the lids and refrigerate until ready to eat.
An easy recipe for pickling peppers, whether hot or sweet, is similar.
Making Quick Pickled Asparagus with Dill
There are many ways to pickle veggies, and dill is one of the favorites. Dill pickles have a flavor that balances between sour and sweet and tastes great with everything from a cold cut sandwich to grilled chicken. Here is our quick pickled asparagus recipe with dill.
Trim the bottoms off the asparagus spears so that they fit easily in a quart-size jar. Pack the spears into the jar, bottom side down. Combine all other ingredients in a medium pan and bring it to a boil until the sugar and salt dissolve.
Pour the hot liquid over the veggies to cover them, leaving half an inch of headspace. Allow the jar to cool before putting on the lid and refrigerating.
Pickled Asparagus Recipe with Garlic
Fresh roasted asparagus and garlic taste great together as a side veggie to any meal and is true for pickling as well. This pickled asparagus recipe brings the two together with a sweet and tangy flavor.
Trim the ends of the asparagus and put them into a large pot of boiling water for three minutes. Remove the veggies and plunge them into a bowl of ice water and let them sit for five minutes. Remove the spears, pack them into a jar, and add the dill.
Add the water, vinegar, and garlic to a medium pan and simmer the mixture for five minutes. Remove the saucepot from the stove and let it cool before pouring the liquid over the canned asparagus. Cover with a lid and refrigerate overnight before serving.
How to Can Pickled Asparagus
While refrigerator pickles are a great way to store veggies in the fridge for the short term, canning asparagus is the ideal choice for preserving pickled asparagus in the pantry for up to five years. Here is a basic pickling recipe to get you started.
Wash and trim the asparagus to fit the jar size of your preference. Pack the spears into the jars as tightly as possible and set them aside. Combine all remaining ingredients in a medium pan, bring to a boil for three minutes, and then remove it from the stove.
Pour the hot brine into each jar to cover the veggies, making sure to leave half an inch of headspace. Place the lids on and screw them finger tight.
Place the jars into a boiling water bath for ten minutes and then turn off the heat. Take out the jars and let them cool for 24-hours before storing them for up to one year.
Canning Dill Pickled Asparagus
Dill has a unique flavor that enhances the pickling process and is one of the most common ingredients for pickling. Dill pickled asparagus taste great as a snack or paired with your favorite summer-time meal.
Rinse and cut the spears into five-inch lengths. Place one garlic clove and two dill sprigs in each of the hot jars and pack them with the asparagus, cut ends down, making sure to leave a half-inch of headspace in each jar.
Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, red pepper, and pickling spice in a stockpot and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook the liquid until the salt and sugar dissolve. Ladle the hot liquid in each jar to cover the veggies, leaving a half-inch headspace.
Remove the air bubbles and wipe off the rims before covering with lids. Place the jars in a boiling water canner and process for ten minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the canning jars sit for five minutes before removing them. Let the canned asparagus cool to room temperature before storing them in the pantry.
How to Can Sweet Pickled Asparagus
If you enjoy sweet pickles, then consider making sweet pickled asparagus. These veggies are full of flavor, and only require a few simple ingredients to prepare them.
Wash and trim the asparagus into five-inch spears and pack them tightly into the jars. Add one teaspoon of pickling spice and one tablespoon dill seed to each jar. In a large pot, add the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt and bring it to a boil.
Ladle the liquid into each jar to cover the spears, making sure to leave a half-inch of headspace. Remove the air bubbles and secure each jar with their lid and band.
Set the jars into a simmering water bath, bring them to a boil, and process for 15 minutes. Remove the jars carefully and let them cool before storing them.
Make Canned Spicy Pickled Asparagus
This spicy pickled asparagus recipe is an excellent choice if you enjoy your condiments with a little bit of heat. The combination of red hot chili peppers and spices adds an intense flavor with just the right kick.
Divide the onion, garlic, and peppers between two canning jars. Wash and trim the asparagus and pack each jar with the spears, pointy side up. Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices in a large pot and boil for ten minutes.
Pour the brine over the veggies, leaving half an inch of headspace in each jar. Screw on the lids and place the jars into a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Remove the quart jars from the hot water and allow them to cool completely before storing.
Using your fresh asparagus to make pickles is a great way to prevent those veggies from going to waste. Not only that, but it’s easy to enhance the pickling liquid by adding your favorite spices. Toss in some sliced red pepper, or add green beans and beets to create a tasty jar of pickles to add to your favorite meal.
Now that you know how to pickle asparagus using quick and delicious canning recipes, why not share our pickled asparagus recipe tips with your family and friends on Facebook and Pinterest?