Small Batch Pickled Asparagus

Easy and delicious, Pickled asparagus makes a great addition to a cheese plate or a Bloody Mary, or enjoy alone as a pickle on the side!

Asparagus is a powerhouse of nutrients, vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. When pickled, it makes a great snack, appetizer, garnish or addition to a salad or sandwich.

If you’ve ever wanted to try water bath canning, this small batch recipe (just one jar) is a great way to get started with a delicious, shelf stable pickle that you can enjoy whenever you like!

Why Make your own Pickles?

Canning and preserving are things that most of us know as something that our grandparents did. It was a valuable life skill back in the day and it is getting popular again as a lot of us are taking time to rediscover our roots. The best part is that it is not that hard to do!

There are many ways to preserve things and make them shelf stable but we believe that one of the easiest to learn is water bath canning. A small batch, one quart jar recipe is a great place to start when you are just starting out. Nothing too intimidating, and great results with very little work!

Special Equipment that You’ll Need for Water Bath Canning

In order to do any sort of water bath canning you will need to have a few things:

• Mason Jars
• Jar Rings
• Canning Lids
• Water Bath Canner
• Tongs

There is a great article all about water bath canning at the Fresh Preserving site if you want direction from experts. They have all sorts of fantastic information!

How to Make Small Batch Pickled Asparagus

Pickled asparagus is a delicious, shelf stable pickle that is easy to make and delicious to enjoy.

Makes a great snack, addition to a charcuterie board, or a wonderful tangy pickle when served alongside a sandwich.

Before you can use asparagus in any way, you need to clean it. Rinse the asparagus with cool water then snap off the thick, woody end. It will naturally break where the tender stem meets the inedible part.

Toss away the ends and then cut the asparagus to 6 inch lengths.

Into the bottom of a clean, quart wide mouth jar add 2 cloves of smashed garlic, 1 teaspoon of dill seed, 1 teaspoon of mustard seed, and 1/4 teaspoon of peppercorns.

Fit as many asparagus spears as you can into the quart jar and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine water, white vinegar, sugar and salt and stir. Bring to a boil over high heat. The mixture will be clear.

Pour the boiling vinegar mixture into the jar over the asparagus leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Headspace it the distance between the top of the liquid and the top of the jar.

Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel and apply the seal. Put the ring on so it is just fingertip tight. Using the canning tongs, gently transfer the jar to the water bath canner.

The jar should be covered by at least an inch of water. Return the water to a boil and process for 10 minutes.

Using canning tongs, remove from the water bath canner and transfer to a kitchen towel or cooling rack. Leave to cool for 4 hours minimum. Enjoy!

Other Easy Pickling Ideas to try

Hot Italian Giardiniera – a delicious way to preserve veggies and a great little snack too!

Super Simple Refrigerator Pickles – quick and easy alternative to throwing away cucumbers that nobody’s going to eat!

Pineapple Cowboy Candy – sweet, savory and spicy, as a snack, a condiment, or an appetizer, these are delicious and addicting!

Pickled Jalapeno Nacho Rings – one of our family’s favorite recipes – especially delicious on nachos, chili and pizza!

Old English Pickled Onions – a traditional British pub favorite, these are tangy and delicious.