Are you ready to pickle to perfection? I know I am. But walk right on by the cucumbers and onions – we’re here to make asparagus pickles! Pickled asparagus is quick, healthy, and super easy to make.
Trim the woody ends of the asparagus, then cut again into identically sized spears. You should cut them just a little shorter than the inside height of your jar so they fit perfectly and are not crushed.
Place the asparagus spears into a large bowl of ice water for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, clean and sterilize your mason jar. Preheat the oven to 325ºF/160ºC. Wash the jar in hot, soapy water, rinsing it well. Then, taking away all rubber, plastic, and other non-heatproof elements, place the jar(s) onto a clean oven tray and heat for 10-15 minutes until dry.
Prepare the Brine
Thinly slice the garlic and chop the dill and other fresh herbs, if using. Set aside.
In a saucepan, mix the water, sugar, vinegar, and pickling salt and bring to a soft boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and boil gently for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the salt and sugar are dissolved.
Add the asparagus spears and return to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Note: The asparagus will change color – this is normal.
Add the dill, sliced garlic, and coriander seeds. Mix gently so you don't break the asparagus spears.
For Quick Pickled Asparagus
Place your asparagus spears into the sterilized jar. Put as much of the dill and garlic into the jar as you can. Then, fill with the brine / pickled liquid – leaving some headspace at the top.
Set aside to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. I recommend waiting at least a few hours before you enjoy the pickles – but you can eat straight away. Keep the asparagus pickles in the fridge for up to 1 month.If you want to water bath can this pickled asparagus recipe, follow the steps on the blog post.
Notes
Insert the asparagus stalks into the bottom of the jar so they're easy to remove without crushing the tips.To get tender-crisp asparagus stalks, make sure the brine is still hot when pouring it over the asparagus into the jar.Check the blog post for serving recommendations, water bath canning method, and answers to top FAQs!