Pickled Asparagus

(recipe, Linda Ziedrich)

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Introduction

This canned pickle is so much the rage now that you can even buy it in warehouse stores. But you can save money by making your own, even if you don't have an asparagus patch. I pickle asparagus in 12-ounce jelly jars, which are a little taller than pint jars — just right for the tender portion of an asparagus stalk. Some people like to pack asparagus into the jars with the tips down, so that the spears are easy to remove without breaking them, but others think that asparagus looks more attractive with the tips up. Pack your pickles either way.

Ingredients

5 large garlic cloves, sliced
15 allspice berries
30 black peppercorns
20 coriander seeds
5 small pieces of mace or nutmeg
½ tsp. chile flakes (optional)
About 3 pounds asparagus, trimmed to fit into 12-ounce jelly jars
2½ cups white-wine vinegar
2½ cups water
2½ tsp. pickling salt
2 Tbsp. sugar

Steps

Divide the garlic, allspice, peppercorns, coriander, mace or nutmeg, and chile flakes (if you're using them) among five 12-ounce jelly jars. Pack the asparagus vertically in the jars, tips down or up.
In a nonreactive saucepan, bring to a boil the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the hot liquid over the asparagus, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
Close the jars with two-piece caps. Process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath, or pasteurize the jars for 30 minutes in water heated to 180 to 185 degrees.
Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least three weeks before eating the asparagus.