I dug out my big ol’ black-and-white-speckled enamelware canning pot and boxes of jars last weekend, after not touching them for almost 10 years. And I was hyped! My mouth was watering at the thought of biting into spears of Pickled & Peppered Asparagus, an addictive treat I long for every spring when asparagus is abundant and cheap!
The first time I even knew there was such a yummy thing as pickled asparagus was about 15 years ago. This treat was the canning specialty of a girlfriend’s husband. He had access to an asparagus field. Can you imagine? Talk about an awesome backstage pass to springtime eats!
I was living in North Dakota then, and was on a Friday night girls bowling team with this girlfriend and a handful of special others. I scoured my boxes of photos, looking for a picture of us lined up with our bowling balls, but came up empty handed. I know it’s here somewhere… But I had so much fun with those gals. Even though my bowling was never spectacular, our time together always was.
And so were the Bloody Marys! The bowling alley served unbelievably good ones. I’m really not a tomato juice kind of person, so liking them even a teensy bit was a surprise for me. I can only imagine how delicious they would have been with a few spears of Pickled and Peppered Asparagus. In a drink, or simply as a nibble on an appetizer plate, these are some very special spears of joy!
Pickled & Peppered Asparagus
(print recipe)
4 to 5 big bunches (about 6 to 7 lbs.) thick asparagus tips
8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
8 tsp. dill seed
8 garlic gloves, peeled, each clove cut into 3 slices
jalapeno slices, optional
5 c. white vinegar
5 c. water
7 T. kosher salt
1-1/4 c. sugar
* Special equipment needed: four 1-quart jars, four rims, four brand-new lids (don’t use lids over again), a large canning pot with a removable wire rack or a large stock pot and a jar lifter utensil
Prepare for water bath canning. I use one of those big black-and-white-speckled enamelware canning pots with the removable wire rack that holds the jars. This recipe uses quart jars, which are tall, so you need a tall pot that allows the water to cover the tops. A tall stock pot would work, too. But if you don’t have a removable rack to lift the hot jars out of the boiling water, a jar lifter utensil would be extremely helpful. Wash four quart jars, then set them in your pot, using the removable wire rack if you have one. Fill pot with enough water to cover the jars with one inch of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. My large pot took about 25 minutes to boil, so get this started right away. Covering the pot with the lid will speed up the process, too.
Put your lids in a small pan with enough water to cover them. Bring to a slow simmer and keep hot until you fill the jars with asparagus.
Fill a medium size stock pot or large pot about half full with water. Bring to boiling. While the water is heating up, trim the asparagus to 6″ lengths. You’ll end up with a pile of asparagus “scraps”. Don’t throw them away! I roasted some with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and enjoyed them with some eggs. And I made an asparagus guacamole with the rest!
Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus.
Bring back to a boil and then immediately drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well.
In a medium pan, combine the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
Using the removable wire rack (I maneuver it up out of the hot water using 2 wooden spoons) or a jar lifter, remove the jars from the canning pot, carefully pouring the water from each one back into the pot, and place them upright on a folded towel.
Place two teaspoons each of crushed red pepper flakes and dill seed into each hot jar, followed by two sliced garlic cloves for each jar. I had some time, waiting for the water to boil, so I pre-measured these.
Divide the asparagus between the jars. I found it helps to switch the position of the jar back and forth, from upright to on its side, to pack in the asparagus.
Ladle the hot vinegar mixture into the jars, leaving 1/2″ headspace at the top. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars clean, then put a hot flat lid and a ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so that it’s just finger-tight.
Return the filled jars to the canning pot, making sure the water covers the jars by at least 1″. Bring to a boil. I put the lid on the pot to speed up the boiling. Then boil for 10 minutes to process.
Remove the jars to a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. After one hour, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each one. If the lid is dimpled and can be pushed down, it hasn’t sealed, and the jar should be refrigerated immediately. Label the sealed jars and store.
Yield: four 1-quart jars
Source: conversations with my mom about canning, an adapted dilled asparagus recipe from Jim Kolbe, and guidance from Canning For a New Generation by Liana Krissoff
I’m linking up with the following:
Kim at Recipes to Run On for her Link Party (Frozen Yogurt)
Cheryl at TidyMom for “I’m Lovin’ It” (The UNManual photography guide GIVEAWAY)
Robyn at Add a Pinch for “Mingle Monday”
Rachel at A Southern Fairytale for “Mouthwatering Monday” (Grillin’ Side Dishes)
Beautiful pictures Brenda. Hope I get to taste this over the weekend!!
Thanks, Mom – and for all your help, too, in guiding me through the process I had forgotten about! You’ll definitely get to have some when you visit!
When I was a little girl, I remember my Mom canning. The big pot, the jars. What a fun idea to try this with my children this summer. We LOVE pickles and I never would’ve thought to do this to asparagus. Amazing. Definitely adding this to our list of Things TO Do This Summer! Thanks a bunch for linking to Recipes to Run On!
Kim {Recipes To Run On} recently posted..Frozen Yogurt Recipes To Run On Link Party
Thanks, Kim. You can also use whole skinny carrots or ones that are sliced, or green beans. I love the pickled flavor of this recipe and don’t think it’s really all that hot, but if your kids don’t like that kick, the pepper flakes could be completely eliminated and it would still taste awesome.
I’d be in heaven if I had access to an asparagus field. This makes me want to go pickle some right now!
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen recently posted..how to plan a cheese tasting party nibble- sip and feast
Can you just imagine the asparagus we could consume?! Heaven, indeed!
I enjoy asparagus and probably don’t eat it as much as I should. I love it grilled but I’ve never had it pickled. Thanks for the great post and all the great photos…you are so very organized!
P.S. I love in your *Source* notes that you wrote *conversations with mom about canning.*
Thanks, Paula. Truly, my mom’s guidance was the best advice I got!
The only thing I dislike about these is I will have to do some WORK if i want some! I am excited, intrigued, and my mouth is instantly watering at this recipe. My Nanny was a big canner, one of my favorite recipes being her chow chow {southern thing, I think} Anyway, I am seriously considering learning a new skill. Canning scares me a little, BUT these look incredible!!!
Well this sure looks interesting! I’d never thought that asparagus could be pickled before!
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Oh my you had me at picked and peppered and then you sent me right over the edge with the asparagus! LUV IT! and then the Bloody Mary! LAwdy
Geesh I didn’t put my blogspot in correctly ; P. Thanks for the comment luv ; )
Hi – My mom and I love your blog! Can you verify that we should use 7 tablespoons of salt for this?
Tiffany Muilenburg recently posted..Chocolate Chip Chiffon Cake
Yes, Tiffany, that measurement is correct. If you make this, please let me know what you think – thank you to both you and your mom for reading!!
Fried egg and your pickled asparagus for supper. Yum! Thanks!
Mmmmmmmmm!!
Oh my gosh how creative!!! I’ve never heard of pickled asparagus! What’s it taste like? I can’t imagine it!
It tastes sour, puckery, tangy, a tiny bit sweet, with a real nice warmth from the hot pepper flakes. The asparagus seems to lose that pungent asparagus flavor going through the process. It’s fabulous, and impossible to eat just one spear!
This is brilliant – I never ever thought to pickle asparagus! I bet it is awesome.
looks delicious, I love asparagus!
Thanks, Diane. It is such a fun treat. I could eat it every single day.
How long do you have to wait before eating these??
Hello, Sara. I find it very hard to wait to open a jar, and dig into a jar after they sit overnight. The flavors do intensify the longer the jars sit, so it’s really all up to you.
I have made this years ago and loved it, but as a variation try using Scarlet Runner Green Beans instead of the asparagus. Pickled Green Beans make a yummy salad table addition