You don’t have to be pregnant to crave pickled everything! Pickled Asparagus is especially delicious and, boy, does it satisfy all your cravings for something tangy, salty, sweet, and spicy!
I have a secret.
When you open my refrigerator, I have a whole shelf dedicated to all things pickled, and it’s mostly Pickled Asparagus. A little spear or two of these is the key to my diet. I eat a few spears of Pickled Asparagus, and suddenly, my car isn’t veering off the road every time I’m in it to go to the nearest fast food joint.
Not only are pickled vegetables good for you, they also help with issues like leaky gut and digestive problems. Pickled vegetables like okra, cucumbers (what you know as just plain pickles), and pickled asparagus are loaded with the same vitamins as the original vegetable, plus those good-for-you probiotics you find in yogurt that come from the fermentation process.
The reason I love this particular recipe is because I’m a dill-pickle girl at heart and these Pickled Asparagus are more a dill than a bread-and-butter variation, which is right up my alley. I slice them into tuna fish for a special treat.
What Can I Do With Pickled Asparagus?
You mean, besides eat them by the dozen, standing right at the refrigerator? I use pickled everything for weight loss and staying slim. It’s not easy for those of us chefs to keep a slim waistline, but pickles are my go-to for staying slim. Three or four Pickled Asparagus spears or just some of my own pickles, and I’m not craving pizza so much anymore.
Pickled Asparagus can be used in lieu of, say, banana peppers to spiffy up a Greek salad and make it even more delicious. And just like pickles (which are pickled cucumbers), you can layer them on just about any sandwich and they taste amazing. My favorite sandwiches to put these on are chicken salad, tuna salad, and spicy meat sandwiches like salami, pastrami, and, especially, sliced chorizo sandwiches. YUM!
How do I store these asparagus?
Since you’re not canning these, the vinegar will keep them fresh for two weeks in the refrigerator, tops.
Layer your peppercorns for a special treat.
Layer your peppercorns. Try pink, green, and black. Pink peppercorns can really make a dish something special.
Which other spices do you recommend I add?
Cumin and sage. These two spices add layers of flavor, which give different notes and harmonies to asparagus I think you will enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these with (or layer them on) my Italian-Inspired Ciabatta Sandwiches with some of my Easy Four-Layer Dip and my quick and easy Carrot Cake Trifle, for the easiest complete dinner you’ve ever made.
Pickled Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus thin spears preferred
- 1/2 shallot very thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove halved
- A few sprigs of fresh dill
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
Instructions
- Begin by washing the asparagus and trimming off the tough, woody ends. Cut the spears to a length that will allow them to stand upright in your canning jars.
- Distribute the asparagus evenly between two 11 1/2 oz. canning jars, or a similar container. Add the thinly sliced shallot, garlic halves, and fresh dill sprigs among the spears.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the distilled white vinegar, water, granulated sugar, and kosher salt. Place over medium heat and stir until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved, which should take about 1 minute.
- Carefully pour the hot brine over the asparagus in the jars, ensuring the spears are completely submerged. Drop in the whole peppercorns for added flavor.
- Allow the jars to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, seal the jars and place them in the refrigerator to chill overnight. This will allow the flavors to meld and the asparagus to pickle properly.
- Your pickled asparagus will be ready to enjoy the next day and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
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