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.
Tips from the Kitchen
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.
While blanching the asparagus is not strictly necessary, it's worth the time investment to allow that tasty brine to fully permeate the stalks. Blanching should be brief to soften the flesh enough to allow the brine to fully penetrate the firm stalks without cooking the vegetable to mush.
Enjoy your asparagus, whether pickled, grilled, sauteed, seared or fried (yes, even fried) because it naturally is fat free, contains no cholesterol and is low in sodium and calories.
To hot pack cover washed asparagus with boiling water and boil for 3 minutes. Place the hot asparagus spears into hot jars, cover with boiling water and remove the air bubbles. Salt if you wish. Cover with a two-piece lid and process in a pressure canner.
Adding a spear or 2 of pickled asparagus to that lunchtime salad or wrap will not only get your veggie minerals in, but it will nourish the gut with the most cost effective source of probiotics around!
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.
The gray flecks are RUTIN, a plant based antioxidant, which is harmless. According to the University of Califorina Cooperative 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.
While the ends of asparagus are technically edible, Institute of Culinary Education chef-instructor Olivia Roszkowski notes that they're notoriously tough in texture and carry less flavor. They also take more time to cook through than the rest of the spear and tips.
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.
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.
These flakes are called rutin and occur naturally in canned asparagus. The asparagus is perfectly safe to eat as long as it was prepared and processed correctly. Why is my brine pink?
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: Liver enzymes ADH and ALDH have both been found to be elevated with the consumption of asparagus. These enzymes help to metabolize ethanol (alcohol that may have been consumed), and also makes a great hangover remedy, as it protects the liver from contaminates that may lead to scarring or fatty liver.
Cabbage, radishes, onions, carrots, beets—the limit does not exist. And they're all great for the gut. Here's more about the best plant-based pickled foods, why they're beneficial for our health, and how to enjoy them in vegan recipes.
If you're using green vegetables — to make, for example, green bean pickles or zucchini pickles — you can blanch vegetables first in boiling water for two to three minutes and then shock them in an ice bath to preserve their color, but this step is purely optional.
But you can't just freeze fresh asparagus spears. You'll need to blanch them first. Blanching asparagus preserves the color and nutrition, and it keeps the texture and taste as close to fresh as possible. If you freeze raw asparagus, you can expect a mushy, mealy mess when it's used.
Blanching inactivates enzymes that can cause your food to rot even when frozen. Blanching also kills many common microbes and that are also eating your food. If you are making pickles that will be refrigerated and eaten soon after they are made, then you Might be OK skipping the blanching process.
Introduction: My name is Velia Krajcik, I am a handsome, clean, lucky, gleaming, magnificent, proud, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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