Pickled Asparagus

Are you looking for something to do with your bountiful asparagus harvest? Pickled asparagus spears can be served as hors d'oeuvres or added as a topping on main course salads to give it a new twist. When making these spears, be sure not to discard the left over stalks, as they can be blanched to  serve with an accompanying dip or incorporated into creamy asparagus soup.

My inspiration for this recipe came from Stephen Palmer Dowdney's Putting Up, certainly toward the top of my canning cookbook list. Dowdney lays out a clear and simple, year-round guide to canning in the Southern tradition. He explains how to put up crops harvested throughout each season, and delves into great detail the technique of hot-pack and water-bath canning. Dowdney brings extraordinary expertise to each recipe as the founder of Rockland Plantation Products.

Pickled Asparagus (makes 4 pints)

Ingredients (in each pint jar):

• 1 Lb fresh asparagus, cut to length, blanched and packed tight.
• 1 raw onion ring
• 1 Tsp black pepper kernels
• 1 slice lemon, peel on
• 1/2 Tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 sprig thyme
• Fresh chives

Pickling Solution:

• 3 C. cider vinegar
• 3 C. water
• 7 Tbsp salt

Directions:

1. Measure length, cut and blanch asparagus in boiling water for 10 seconds.

2. Prepare jars and bring pickling solution to a boil.

3. Take initial pH test of liquid. If above 4.2, improper mixture of vinegar and water or improper acidity of vinegar exists. Discard liquid and start over.

4. Water bath to 185 degrees (F). Perform final pH testing after 24 hours.