Make this refreshing quick pickled asparagus with everyday pantry ingredients like garlic, vinegar, sugar, and spices. Pickling has never been easier!
Love pickled veggies? Try out our pickled jalapenos recipe!
What are Pickled Asparagus?
Pickled asparagus is exactly what it sounds like. Fresh asparagus is pickled in a vinegar mixture, preserving the asparagus for up to two weeks. They retains its crisp texture, but a salty, sweet, and tangy flavor is added during the pickling process. It’s a wonderful side dish to have on hand for any last-minute needs.
How to Make Pickled Asparagus
Pickling can seem intimidating, but there is nothing intimidating about this quick-pickling method.
Prepare the asparagus: Cut off the ends of the asparagus spears. Place asparagus and sliced garlic cloves inside a jar tall enough to fit them.
Boil the liquid: In a medium pot, boil the water, white vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, and salt.
Pour liquid into jar: Pour the hot brine over the asparagus. Let it sit uncovered for 15 minutes, then seal with a lid.
Marinate: Marinate the asparagus (once cooled) in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
Hot tip: We love using these tall jars to store the asparagus. They’re the perfect height to cover the veggie fully.
Make your pickled asparagus the best by following these quick tips.
Choose thin or medium asparagus: Thin to medium-sized asparagus spears will pickle the best. Tough, thicker spears don’t become as tender or flavorful when pickled.
Prepare the asparagus: Snap off the ends of the asparagus. The ends often don’t pickle too well. Here’s a quick video on how to break off the asparagus ends. There’s no need to blanch them prior to pickling.
Make it spicy: For an added kick, add a few slices of jalapeños or a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the pickling liquid.
Add more herbs and spices: For extra flavor, add fresh herbs like dill or parsley or spices such as celery seeds and mustard seeds.
Serving
Enjoy pickled asparagus straight out of the fridge as a refreshing, crispy snack. Or, place a few spears as part of a charcuterie board. For breakfast, add it to avocado toast with your other favorite toppings. For lunch, add it into a garlic bread sandwich or chop it into pieces and throw into a garden salad. When it’s time for dinner, serve them as a side veggie dish to a protein such as grilled chicken thighs or grilled ribeye steak.
Storage Tips
The whole reason behind pickling vegetables is to increase the life of the veggie. Pickled asparagus taste the best after 1-3 days of marinating, but will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
FAQ
What is the gray stuff on pickled asparagus?
Occasionally pickled asparagus develops white/gray flecks. This is a normal reaction to a protein found in asparagus that reacts harmlessly with vinegar. Asparagus with these specks are safe to eat.
Pickled asparagus might shrivel due to the vinegar pulling out liquid from inside the asparagus.
How do I know if the pickled asparagus is bad?
Pickled asparagus is bad when it smells off, tastes weird, or looks odd. Avoid eating asparagus that has been pickled for longer than two weeks.
What’s the difference between canning and pickling?
Canning is the use of containers to preserve foods, whereas pickling is the process of treating food with an acid to prolong shelf life. Pickled foods can sometimes be canned (like pickles), but not all canned foods are pickled (such as jam and jelly).
Prepare asparagus by cutting off the ends. Place the asparagus and sliced garlic cloves inside a jar tall enough to fit them.
In a medium pot, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and peppercorns. Bring the brine to a boil.
Pour the marinade over the asparagus. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then seal with a lid. Allow the asparagus to marinate in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
Nutrition Facts
Quick Pickled Asparagus Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 75Calories from Fat 3
% Daily Value*
Fat 0.3g0%
Saturated Fat 0.1g1%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.02g
Sodium 1754mg73%
Potassium 280mg8%
Carbohydrates 13g4%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 871IU17%
Vitamin C 8mg10%
Calcium 55mg6%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Pickling asparagus is a fairly straightforward process, but unlike cucumber pickles, includes the extra step of blanching the stalks before canning. While blanching the asparagus is not strictly necessary, it's worth the time investment to allow that tasty brine to fully permeate the stalks.
Note that there is no safe way to can asparagus using a water-bath canner. If you don't want to use a pressure canner, you need to pickle it or freeze it.
We've heard great testimonials from some of our regular customers who tried our pickled asparagus and were amazed at how much it helped their digestion. They were able to say goodbye to bloating and constipation, and some even experienced a bowel cleanse that left them feeling lighter, cleaner, and more energized.
You'll enjoy delicious pickled vegetables that last about 2 weeks. Canned asparagus will last much longer – at least 12 months. We don't have a proper pressure canner, so we use a bath of boiling water to can our jars. Boiling for exactly 15 minutes will get the job done.
Like most vegetables, if frozen raw, the texture, taste, colour and nutritional value of asparagus deteriorates. Make sure you blanch or cook the veg first to preserve these elements.
One easy way to cook asparagus is to blanch it. Not only is it quick, but blanching also helps retain the vegetable's vibrant green color. Plus, blanched asparagus results in a crisp-tender texture, perfect for recipes like Asparagus Salad with Eggs & Jambon de Bayonne and Tarragon Scallops on Asparagus Spears.
Expert Response. It's not unusual for asparagus to shrivel immediately after processing. They usually plump back up as they sit in the jars for a few weeks and absorb the brine. It seems they are more likely to shrivel if the asparagus wasn't fresh, or was a bit wilted from dry weather.
The answer is yes, it is safe to eat. These little specks are called rutin. According to the University of California Extension, when asparagus is heated with vinegar, the bioflavonoid rutin is drawn out of the asparagus. It becomes insoluble and crystallizes, leaving the spots on the surface of the asparagus.
The dietary fiber in asparagus helps your stomach and intestines continue to work normally. Dietary fiber fuels good bacteria, which help your body digest food and absorb important nutrients. Eating enough fiber also helps prevent problems like hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, or other painful digestive problems.
Asparagus has more than one gram of soluble fiber per cup, which lowers the risk of heart disease, and the amino acid asparagine helps the body flush out excess salt. Asparagus has excellent anti-inflammatory effects and high levels of antioxidants, both of which may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Asparagus is rich in fiber, but it may go one step further in promoting gut health. In a nonhuman clinical trial, eating cooked asparagus appeared to reduce colon inflammation in instances of colitis (inflammation of the colon). Researchers identified a flavonoid called rutin as contributing to this effect.
Not to worry; those white/gray flecks are perfectly safe to eat. The flecks are actually a protein buildup called rutin, a natural flavonoid in asparagus that sometimes reacts harmlessly with the vinegar.
Save that pickle juice. It's great to reuse in making pickled asparagus. No complicated canning involved here. Simply immerse blanched asparagus in a jar of leftover pickle juice.
Stand them upright in a 2-cup glass measuring cup, wide-mouth mason jar, or a bowl with water covering the tips. (Don't pack them too tightly together; use two jars or cups if the asparagus is fat or your bunch is large.) Cover the spears with a plastic bag. Place in the refrigerator.
Some of your vegetables may change color from being pickled. Blanching them in boiled water for 2-3 minutes, and then placing them in an ice bath will help to preserve their color. The type of vinegar you choose will also impact color.
All vegetables should be blanched and quickly cooled before freezing, drying or dehydrating. Exceptions: Diced or cut onions, green onions, leeks and peppers do not need to be blanched before preserving. Some pressure canning recipes also require vegetables to be blanched.
Cut into even lengths to fit containers. Water blanch small spears for 2 minutes, medium spears 3 minutes, and large spears 4 minutes. Reduce blanching time for shorter pieces. Cool promptly in cold water or ice water, drain thoroughly and pat dry.
Introduction: My name is Neely Ledner, I am a bright, determined, beautiful, adventurous, adventurous, spotless, calm person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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