Pickled asparagus are crisp and crunchy, they make a great snack or addition to your favorite sandwiches, roast chicken, deli sandwiches, as a part of an appetizer or charcuterie board, or on its own as a snack.
Quick and delicious, asparagus spears are quick-pickled in flavorful brine, no canning required!
Simply place the spears in jars, cover with the brine, and refrigerate. So easy!
I’m a huge fan of pickling all the things, from the basics like cucumbers and onions to easy pickled eggs or pretty much any vegetable you can think of.
Ingredients for Pickled Asparagus
I often use pickled vegetables for vegetable crudite alongside the roasted vegetables for a nice flavor. This pickled asparagus recipe
Asparagus spears: Use fresh medium sized asparagus spears. Start by trimming the cut end of each asparagus spear so they fit in a jar.
Brine: This is a simple, yet flavorful brine and while I use it on asparagus, it can be used on other veggies too.
- You’ll need coarse salt or pickling salt to soak the asparagus.
- White vinegar: Adds a tangy flavor to the brine.
- Sugar balances the tartness of the vinegar and adds a touch of sweetness.
- Mustard seed, dill, white onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes add flavor.
How to Make Pickled Asparagus in the Fridge
Here are the basics of refrigerator asparagus pickles:
- Make the brine or pickling juice (per the recipe below).
- Trim & wash asparagus. Trim off the fibrous ends, as they are difficult to eat.
- Pack a jar with garlic, fresh dill, a few spices, & the asparagus and pour the brine overtop.
- Refrigerate for a few days.
Voila, homemade refrigerator pickled asparagus!
What is Quick Pickle?
There are two kinds of pickling, the kind that you do by canning the vegetable and processing it so the jars seal, and the kind that is often referred to as “quick-pickle” which means it occurs in the refrigerator.
This pickled asparagus recipe uses the quick pickle method which doesn’t require canning. The asparagus should be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Crispy pickled asparagus makes the perfect snack, with a satisfying crunch and all that great pickling flavor. The asparagus spear tends to soak up a lot of the vinegar and spices, leaving you with a crunchy, vinegary, slightly sweet, and a little spicy snack. You can add extra chili flakes to the jar if you prefer more spicy pickled asparagus.
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.
However, the pickling brine does contain sugar and salt, and you do lose some of the nutrient value when you cook the asparagus. Overall, it is a much better snack for you than potato chips.
This is a quick pickling recipe and is not designed for canning.
Perfectly Pickled
Pickled Asparagus
Equipment
Ingredients
- 30 asparagus spears trimmed
- ⅓ cup coarse salt
- 2 quarts cold water
- 2 cups distilled white vinegar
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 white onion sliced into rings
- 2 heads garlic separated into whole cloves and peeled (divided)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 sprigs fresh dill
Instructions
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Trim the cut end of the asparagus spears.
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Place asparagus in a large bowl with ⅓ cup salt and cover with water. Let stand in salt water while preparing the brine.
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In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, mustard seed, dill weed, onion slices, and 1 garlic head of cloves. (peeled).
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Bring brine mixture to a boil, and boil for 1-2 minutes.
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Turn down to a simmer.
Quick Pickling:
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Drain salted water from asparagus and add asparagus to the saucepan with the brine mixture.
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Simmer for 4-6 minutes until asparagus turns a dull shade of green.
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Using tongs, remove asparagus from the mixture and place in two pint-size wide-mouth jars, tip-side up.
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Tuck one dill sprig and half a head of peeled garlic cloves into each jar, and sprinkle in ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
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Pour hot pickling liquid into the jars, filling to within ¼" of the rim.
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Close the jar with an airtight lid, and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to cool. Use within 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
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Do you add water to the brine or just the vinegar?
You use the water in step 2 and then remove it and replace it with the brine. The brine ingredients are listed in step 3.
Very easy and tasty. Next time i would only shorten the time the asparagus simmered in the brine as we like ours a little firmer
I just made this today, March 3rd. Will be trying in a day. I love pickled anything.
I would love to hear how they turned out for you, Janna!
Ingredients call for 2 quarts water but recipe does not use them.
In step 2, you cover the asparagus with the water.
How long will the pickled asparagus last in the fridge if done the first way?
Hi Linda, if quick pickling we recommend you use them within 2 weeks.
Sorry, I forgot to ask…what size jars?
I add a small amount of alum to keep my pickles crisp, would this work with asparagus, also.
This Pickled Asparagus was very good but it molded in less than a week
Yes, that can happen if it isn’t canned. I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted Donna!
I haven’t made these yet…but can’t wait to! How many jars will it take for these’s?
Pickled asparagus.is great with a bloody Mary or red beer.
Yes definitely!!
hadn’t ever seen pickled asparagus, great idea since it has all of the elements, kind of like a skinny pickle, thank you for this recipe!
Enjoy Sabrina!