PICKLED ASPARAGUS
About 4 pint jars
As we developed this recipe, we couldn’t help but notice the pile of stalks left over after trimming the asparagus to fit in the jars. We snapped off the woody ends and reserved the short, tender pieces. It was serendipitous—we wound up with just enough tender stalk pieces to fill a fourth jar. While not as beautiful as the asparagus tops, the flavor is excellent, and the thicker ends of the stalks hold up well to the canning process. Please read about pickling and How to Process.
Prepare a water-bath canner, gather all your canning equipment, and have ready 4 clean, hot pint jars.
Wash and trim the woody ends from:
- 3 pounds asparagus
Cut the asparagus 4 inches from the tip and reserve any short, tender stalk pieces. Have an ice water bath ready. Blanch the asparagus tips in boiling water for 30 seconds and transfer to the ice water bath to cool. Drain well. Blanch the reserved stalk pieces for 1 minute and transfer to the ice water bath to cool. Drain well and keep separated from the tips.
Bring to a boil in a medium saucepan:
- 3 cups white wine vinegar
- 3 cups water
- 3 tablespoons pickling salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
Place in each prepared jar:
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed (4 total)
- 1 sprig thyme (4 total)
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (2 teaspoons total)
- One 3 × ½-inch strip orange zest, removed with a vegetable peeler (4 total)
Pack 3 of the jars with the asparagus tips and pack the stalk pieces into the fourth jar. Ladle the hot brine into the prepared jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove any trapped air from the jars and adjust the liquid level if needed. Wipe the rims. Place lids on jars and screw on rings until fingertip-tight. Process for 10 minutes. Let cool completely and store as directed.