Pickled Asparagus Recipe (Canned, Quick, or Refrigerator)

This is the best crisp pickled asparagus recipe out there, and the first thing to meet my canning jars come springtime. Garlic and dill are paired with salty brine and flavor-packed seasonings that create perfectly crisp asparagus spears every time! There’s a good reason this is one of my most requested recipes.

Asparagus might be my favorite pickling vegetable… except for the beans that get turned into dilly beans and the beets for pickled beets, oh, and the cucumbers for fermented dill pickles or canned garlic dill pickles or bread and butter pickles. Okay, I can’t pick a favorite, because really, they should all have their place inside a Mason jar and lining my cupboard shelves.

Oh, wait! I almost forgot Great Grandma’s mustard pickles! Whew, that was close!

As you can see, I’m a lover of all things pickled!

My favorite way to eat pickled asparagus is as an appetizer. It’s the way to go. Served all by itself, rolled up in ham with a smear of cream cheese, or served side by side on a cheese platter or charcuterie board… crispy pickled asparagus is amazing. It also goes great with Bloody Mary cocktails or mocktails!

If you’re brand new to canning, you may want to check out a few of my resources before getting started. Canning 101 is great for those just getting started, as is this article about whether canning food at home is really worth it. And once you’re done canning your pickled asparagus, be sure to check out my food preservation category for your next project.

Wondering What Pickled Asparagus Tastes Like?

Well, it’s a bit like a pickle but with the subtle undertones of the asparagus flavor shining through like a champ. If you follow my recipe, they’ll be crispy and briny. During canning, the asparagus soaks up all the amazing flavors of the vinegar, salt, garlic, and dill, leaving you with a tart, slightly sour taste.

Feel free to toss some chili flakes in each jar for a little heat (if that’s your thing!). As long as you have the proper vinegar-to-salt ratio, you can’t really mess up the rest of the spices, so experiment to find your perfect combination of pickling spices.

Can You Make Pickled Asparagus In the Refrigerator?

Yes! Even though the recipe below is meant for canning, you can make these in the refrigerator. The only difference is they won’t be shelf-stable and they’ll take a little longer until you get that really great pickle flavor.

If you just want to make a small batch (and have a bit of patience), then the refrigerator method is just fine. And if you love refrigerator methods of pickling, you might also love these bread and butter refrigerator pickles!

To make refrigerator pickled asparagus:

1. Mix together the vinegar, salt, and spices.
2. Wash the asparagus and trim the bottoms to fit the size of your jar (I like pint jars, but quart jars work well for larger stalks).
3. Add garlic cloves and dill sprigs to the bottom of your jar and fill with asparagus. Try to line the stalks up nice and tall, like little soldiers, and really pack them in tight!
4. Pour the room-temperature pickling liquid over the top to fill the jar.
5. Place in the refrigerator for 3-7 days. Technically, after 24 hours you now have asparagus pickles, but the longer you let them “pickle” the stronger their flavor.

What’s the Difference Between a Refrigerator Pickle and a “Quick Pickle”?

There’s not too much of a difference between the two, however, a quick pickle is made by first boiling your brine, then pouring the hot brine over your asparagus. This “cooks” the asparagus just a bit, making it softer and quicker to absorb the brine.

Quick Pickled Asparagus

To make quick-pickled asparagus:

1. Mix together the vinegar, salt, and spices in a pot to create your brine.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Prepare your asparagus by washing and trimming the bottoms to fit the size of your jar.
4. Add garlic cloves and dill to the bottom of your jar and fill with asparagus. Try to line the trimmed asparagus up nice and tall, like little soldiers, and really pack them in tight!
5. Pour the hot brine over the top to fill the jar.
6. Seal with a lid and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours. The asparagus will continue to get more “pickle-y” after 3-5 days.

Pickled Asparagus – Healthy or Not?

If you’re asking yourself whether pickled asparagus is healthy or not, the answer is kind of!

Really helpful, right?

Asparagus itself is very healthy. It’s full of fiber and a great source of Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc. Did you know asparagus also has probiotics? This makes it a great addition to meals for aiding digestion.

When you pickle the asparagus you have to consider that you’re adding quite a bit of salt and some sugar into the picture. And if you’re canning it, the asparagus will lose some of its nutrients and probiotics because it’s heated.

But if you’re comparing the health of pickled asparagus to say a cookie, then it’s a much healthier option.

How to Get Crispy Pickled Asparagus Every Time

For crispy pickled asparagus, you need to start with fresh asparagus. To make sure the asparagus is fresh, try to snap it in half. It should break clean without any strings. Stringy or limp asparagus is a sign that it’s not fresh.

I prefer medium or larger stalks of asparagus, this also lends itself to a crispy finish. Just be sure your jars are large enough to hold the size you want.

There is no need to sterilize your jars when canning this recipe. Updated canning testing states if you’re processing your recipe for 10 minutes or more, there’s no need to sterilize your jars. Simply wash them in hot soapy water.

Does asparagus need to be blanched before pickling?

No, unless you have an aversion to crispy pickles. There’s no need to blanch your asparagus prior to pickling when canning it.

See, told you this pickled asparagus recipe was easy peasy. Click here for more tips on how to tell if a canning recipe is safe.

How long will pickled asparagus last?

Canned pickled asparagus will last for 18 months on the shelf. Once opened, it will last for weeks in the fridge, provided the spears stay beneath the liquid.

How long before pickled asparagus is ready to eat?

Allow pickled asparagus to sit on the shelf (after processing) for at least 5 days to let the flavor develop.

Grab your water bath canner and follow the instructions below for proper canning!

Pickled Asparagus Recipe

Supplies Needed

• Canning Jars – Wide-mouth canning jars work best for this recipe. I recommend using quart jars as they tend to fit the length of asparagus better. I’ve been loving the canning jars from Azure Standard.
• Canning Lids & Bands – You’ll want two-part canning lids for this recipe. You can get bulk canning jars from ForJars (use code “Modern10” to get 10% off) or Delali Canning Lids (use code “SPENDNSAVE” to get 15% off orders of $75 or more).

Ingredients Needed

• Asparagus – To make six quarts you’ll want about 30 spears per quart (180 spears total).
• Water – Clean, filtered water is best.
• Vinegar – I recommend organic vinegar to ensure it’s non-GMO and always use 5% acidity when canning/pickling. You can use white or apple cider vinegar. White just helps keep the green color of the pickled asparagus spears.
• Salt – Pickling salt (also known as canning salt) ensures a brine that’s not cloudy. If you don’t mind a little cloudiness, you can use sea salt or kosher salt.
• Sugar – Sugar may seem strange in a pickling brine, but really it just helps balance out the acidity of the vinegar. This recipe is not sweet like a sweet pickle or sweet and sour pickle recipe.
• Celery Seed – This adds great flavor to the pickled asparagus.
• Mustard Seed – The mustard seed will add a nice flavor and a slightly yellow color to the pickling brine.
• Dill – You can use dill weed, dill seeds or fresh dill heads in this recipe.
• Garlic – Don’t skip the garlic! It adds great flavor, and the garlic gets pickled right along with the asparagus spears. They’re so delicious!

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Wash jars in hot water soapy water. Wide-mouth jars work best.
2. Put 3 cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons mustard seed and 2 teaspoons dill in the bottom of each jar.
3. Rinse asparagus in cold water. Measure and chop off woody ends so that the asparagus spear fills jars with 1/2 inch head space. Pack tightly.
4. Set lids in a pan of water on medium heat until ready to seal jars.
5. Put water, vinegar, sugar, salt and celery seed in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the liquid has boiled, fill each jar to the top of the spears, leaving 1/2 inch head space.
6. Wipe rims, put on lids, and screw on bands to fingertip tight. Place jars in the canning rack or basket in a hot water bath of boiling water and process for 10 minutes.
7. Carefully pull out hot jars and place them on a folded kitchen towel in a draft-free area. Allow jars to sit for at least 12 hours.
8. After 12 hours, check to make sure the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center. If it pops or gives, your seal is bad. Put that jar in the refrigerator and enjoy immediately.
9. Label and date your pickled asparagus and store in a cool, dark place.

Tips for the Best Pickled Asparagus

• You’ll want to start with approximately 180 spears of asparagus (depending on size), which equals about 30 spears per quart (or about 3 pounds of asparagus per quart) for a total of 6 quarts.
• Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus, and be sure the length fits your quart-sized jar nicely.
• You’ll need good, clean water and vinegar of choice. I prefer to choose organic vinegar, and always one that’s 5% acidity when canning and/or pickling. I love Azure Standard’s white vinegar because it’s non-GMO and has 11% acidity, which means I only need to use half the amount (the rest can be diluted with water). First-time Azure customers can get 15% off their first order of $100 or more with coupon code “Melissa15”.
• You can use white or apple cider vinegar, but homemade vinegar is unsafe for canning. Using white vinegar will yield nice bright green spears, while apple cider vinegar will make the asparagus appear duller in color.
• If you want a non-cloudy brine, be sure to use pickling salt. If you don’t mind brine that’s a bit cloudy, you can use regular or kosher salt. I love Redmond Real Salt (use that link and code “Pioneering” for 15% off your order).
• Don’t skip the sugar, it really helps balance out the flavors for this recipe. I use raw organic cane sugar.
• The seasonings are really preferential and can be adapted to suit your liking. I’ve found that the combination of celery seed, some mustard seed, dill, and garlic make a delicious end product.
• If you like your pickled asparagus with a little more kick, add some red pepper flakes and black peppercorns to each jar. Use approximately 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per quart.

How to Store Pickled Asparagus

Once you’ve canned your pickled asparagus, and the jars are sealed properly, you’ll want to make sure to allow your jars to cool overnight. Then, follow these methods for properly storing your canned goods to ensure you’re safely storing your food for the best long-term storage.

If a jar doesn’t seal correctly, don’t panic! Just seal the jar with the lid and place it in the refrigerator.

In my opinion, this is the best pickled asparagus recipe, and not just my opinion, I have people who try this and immediately ask for the recipe to replace their old one. The only proper thing to do is share this of course!

No matter where you are in your canning journey, be sure to bookmark these 129+ canning recipes and then go order my brand new book, Everything Worth Preserving, which is 400+ pages of preserving recipes and how to preserve everything from the garden in an easy to follow A-Z book.

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Best Pickled Asparagus- Easy Canning Recipe

MelissaKNorris

This is the best crisp pickled asparagus recipe out there and the first thing to meet my canning jars come springtime. Garlic and dill are paired with a salty brine and flavor-packed seasonings that create perfectly crisp asparagus spears every time! There’s good reason this is one of my most requested recipes.

3.95 from 68 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 6 quarts

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 180 spears of asparagus depending on size, about 30 per quart
• 6 1/2 cups water
• 8 1/2 cups vinegar preferably organic and always use 5% acidity when canning/pickling. You can use white or apple cider vinegar. White just helps keep the green color of the asparagus
• 6 Tablespoons pickling salt regular makes your brine cloudy
• 1 to 2 cups sugar I use raw organic cane sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
• 12 Teaspoons mustard seed
• 12 teaspoons Dill weed or 2 heads fresh dill tucked in with asparagus
• 18 cloves garlic

Instructions

 

• Wash jars in hot water soapy water. Wide mouth jars work best.
• Put 3 cloves of garlic, and 2 teaspoons mustard seed and dill in the bottom of each jar.
• Rinse asparagus in cold water. Measure and chop off ends so that heads fill jars with 1/2 inch head space. Pack tightly.
• Set lids in a pan of water on medium low heat until ready to seal jars.
• Put water, vinegar, sugar, salt and celery seed in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once liquid has boiled, fill each jar to the top of the spears, leaving 1/2 inch head space.
• Wipe rims, put on lids, and screw on bands. Place jars in canning rack or basket in a hot water bath of boiling water and process for 10 minutes.
• Carefully pull out hot jars and place on a folded kitchen towel in a draft free area. Let sit for at least 12 hours. Check to make sure the jars of pickled asparagus have sealed by pressing down on the center of the lid. If it pops or gives, your seal is bad. Put in fridge and eat.
• Store jars in a dark cool place.

Notes

• For spicy pickled asparagus: Add red pepper flakes to each jar with garlic. You can add approximately 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per quart.
• This makes approximately 6 quarts of pickled asparagus and the nutritional information is based on 4 servings per jar… provided you don’t eat the whole jar all by yourself in one sitting- because it’s that good!

Keyword canned pickled asparagus, pickled asparagus

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