Skip to Content

How To Make Pickled Asparagus

How To Make Pickled Asparagus

Asparagus season is short and sweet just like this pickled asparagus recipe! Start making pickled asparagus now and you’ll have deliciously seasoned pickled vegetables to nosh on tomorrow!

Only 10 minutes of prep time is required to make this recipe for pickled asparagus. No canning is necessary, unless of course canning asparagus is what you’re going for!

If you’re into pickling recipes, check out these favorites: Mexican Pickled Carrots, Pickled PeppersPickled Banana PeppersPickled Red OnionsPickled Daikon, Pickled Peaches and Pickled Cucumbers.

Small bowls or ingredients with black labels showing what's in them.

Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients for pickling asparagus. For the full list of ingredients, reference the recipe card below.

  • Fresh Asparagus 
  • White Vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Kosher Salt
  • Pickling Spices (such as dill, garlic, and peppercorns)

Pickled Asparagus Recipe

The pickling process is simple, quick, and requires only a few ingredients. Here’s a brief overview of the key steps. The full list of instructions are in the recipe card below:

Step 1. Boil the pickling liquid.

Step 2.  Trim the spears.

Step 3. Stuff as many asparagus spears as possible into a large jar, such as glass mason jars (24 oz). 

Step 4. Pour the vinegar mixture over the asparagus and let marinate for 24 hours.

Glass bowls with spices next to stalks of asparagus.

How To Choose The Best Asparagus

High quality produce equals higher quality pickled vegetables. Fresh asparagus is no exception. When shopping, here’s what to look out for:

  • Bright green coloring with a firm stalk. 
  • Uniform thickness (when pickling).
  • Avoid stalks with wrinkles or soft spots.

How To Trim Asparagus

There are two ways to trim asparagus, depending on your preference.

Knife – Place the asparagus on a cutting board so the bottom of the stalks line up. Use a knife to cut off the bottom 1″ or so, where the stalks starts turning green instead of white.

Hands – “Snap” the bottom part of the spear off using your hands. It should snap just like a twig when bent.

Group of asparagus spears.

How Much To Buy

To fill a wide mouth pint size mason jar, you’ll use about 1.5 pounds of asparagus per jar. So if you want to prepare 2 jars, you’ll need 3 pounds of the green stuff. 

Variations

Sweet – Like sweet pickled vegetables? Increase the sugar by 1 tablespoon to add extra sweetness. We do recommend tasting the initial vinegar brine first to get a baseline flavor. 

Spicy – If you prefer spicy pickled veggies, add extra red pepper flakes, to taste. I’ve been known to add a full tablespoon of red pepper flakes. 

Korean – To make a Korean-flavored version, add in 1/2 Tablespoon of coarse ground gochugaru, and 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds to the bottom of the jar.

Jar of green vegetables and onions in a mason jar.

Top 10 Serving Ideas

In addition to serving as a snack, here are the top 10 ways we like to utilize pickled asparagus:

  1. Cocktail Garnish (Michelada or Bloody Mary)
  2. Appetizer Platter
  3. Simple Charcuterie Board (Next to Pickled Mustard Seeds)
  4. Salad Ingredient
  5. Sandwich Topping
  6. Breakfast Side Dish (Asparagus and Eggs)
  7. Deviled Eggs Topping (Smoked Deviled Eggs)
  8. Pizza Topping
  9. Grilled Cheese Ingredient
  10. Bruschetta Topping

Canned Asparagus

This recipe hasn’t been testing for canning. If canning, follow the proper canning methods as outlined on the NCHFP website.

Tips

  • For the best results, you want to pour the brine over the asparagus while still hot. You MUST use a glass jar that can withstand high heat.
  • Once jarred, marinate for a minimum of 24 hours up to 3 days. The longer they marinate the more tender and flavorful they will be.
  • Store the jars of pickled asparagus in the refrigerator for up to two months.
Glass jar filled with pickled asparagus.

Pickled Asparagus

Asparagus season is short and sweet just like this pickled asparagus recipe! Only 10 minutes of prep time is required to make this recipe for pickled asparagus. More asparagus recipes to check out: sous vide asparagus and smoked asparagus.
If you’re into pickling recipes, check out these favorites: Pickled PeppersPickled Banana PeppersPickled Red OnionsPickled Daikon and How To Pickle Cucumbers.
5 from 69 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Marinating: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Asparagus, Picking Recipe, Pickled Vegetable
Servings: 1 Jar
Calories: 255kcal
Author: Darcey Olson
Cost: $5

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup distilled white vinegar (*Note 1)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black peppercorn
  • ½ tsp dill seeds
  • lb asparagus, trimmed
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes (*Note 2)
  • ½ small onion, thinly sliced rings

Instructions
 

Make the Vinegar Brine:

  • Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, water, peppercorn and dill seeds to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Set aside.
    1 cup distilled white vinegar
    1 cup water
    1 Tbsp granulated sugar
    1 tsp kosher salt
    1 tsp black peppercorn
    ½ tsp dill seeds

Prep the Asparagus:

  • Wash the asparagus and break off the woody ends of the spears. Trim so they fit vertically in the mason jar, leaving 1/2" on the top. I recommend a tall wide mouth mason jar (24 oz).
    1½ lb asparagus, trimmed

Marinate the Asparagus:

  • Add the red pepper flakes, garlic cloves and onion rings to the bottom of the mason jar.
    2 cloves garlic, smashed
    ½ tsp red pepper flakes
    ½ small onion, thinly sliced rings
  • Stuff as many asparagus spears into the jar as possible.
  • Pour the hot vinegar brine over the asparagus, ensuring the liquid completely covers the spears. Marinate for a minimum of 24 hours up to 3 days, to maximize flavor.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

Note 1: Use White Wine Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar, if desired.
Note 2: The red pepper flakes only add a hint of spice. You can omit if you prefer.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 2375mg | Potassium: 1496mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 5465IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 237mg | Iron: 16mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Recipe Rating




Mike Whitco

Wednesday 17th of May 2023

Very good recipe and these ingrediencies are a great choice. I may try same recipe on pickles.