Pickled Asparagus Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you blanch asparagus before pickling? ›

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. With a summer of pickling ahead of us, asparagus is a great place to start.

Is Pickled Asparagus Good for You? Pickled asparagus is full of fiber and probiotics, which makes it great for digestion. Asparagus, in general, is a great, healthy, and delicious vegetable source of Vitamin B6, calcium, zinc, and magnesium.

What are the gray flecks on the asparagus? 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.

Process at 11 pounds pressure for 30 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts. 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.

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.

Cut off the tough ends of asparagus. Blanch in salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes or until bright in color, crisp and yet tender. Shock by plunging into ice water, drain and arrange on 6 small plates or on a platter.

This herbaceous plant, along with avocado, kale and Brussels sprouts, is a particularly rich source of glutathione, a detoxifying compound that helps break down carcinogens and other harmful compounds like free radicals, according to a 2022 review article in Frontiers in Nutrition.

Asparagus is particularly high in folate and vitamins A and K. Keep in mind that a food is considered an excellent nutrient source if it meets 20% or more of your RDA in one serving. For asparagus, a standard serving size is six medium spears, a 1/2 cup of pieces, or just over three ounces cooked.

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.

Don't worry—it's not as bad as it looks. The acidic brine can pull out the liquid inside your asparagus, making it appear shriveled.

Is cloudy pickle brine OK? ›

Some batches are naturally cloudier than others, but all are safe to consume and taste delicious. Shake Until Cloudy and Enjoy! Cloudy brine is a sign that you have a safe, successful, and tasty ferment. Even after all the pickles are gone and you have a jar of delicious brine leftover, don't toss it!

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.

Don't skip the blanching step.

It softens the asparagus and allows the pickling liquid to soak in more effectively. If you don't have these handy 24 ounce jars, opt for the quilted 12 ounce jelly jars. The taller the jar, the less you have to trim away.

All vegetables, except tomatoes, should be canned in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure (240°F). You may can tomatoes in either a water bath canner or a pressure canner, but you should always hot pack them.

Expert Response

What you are probably seeing are rutin crystals. They often occur in canned asparagus and are harmless.

Blanching asparagus is a great way to preserve its bright green color and tender yet crisp texture.

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.

Blanching stops enzyme actions which otherwise cause loss of flavor, color and texture. In addition, blanching removes some surface dirt and microorganisms, brightens color and helps slow vitamin losses.

The high salt concentration in this recipe will cause the asparagus to shrivel at first but will plump up as it sits. The asparagus will float at first but then settles a little.