Easy Pickled Asparagus

This is an easy recipe that I created for refrigerator pickles. These kind of pickles are generally done within a week, and are intended to be eaten within a month. I tend to prefer this kind of pickling over the more labor intensive long term pickling mainly because I am lazy and like the flexibility to experiment with various spice combinations. One of the nice things about this recipe is that it does not contain dill, a spice with cross reaction for those with a latex food allergy.

Skip this recipe if you have an allergy to onions or garlic, both asparagus and these ingredients are in the Liliaceae family.

Easy Pickled Asparagus
1/2lb asparagus
3 strips of lemon zest*
3 cloves chopped garlic*
1 tablespoon black pepper corns*
1 tablespoon mustard seeds*
Basic Brine**

1. To prepare the asparagus, hold the asparagus next to the glass jar you will be use for canning. Chop off the last few inches from the fiberous base of the stem until each piece is a length that will fit within the jar with a little bit of room to spare.

2. Either leave the asparagus raw (to be cook via the chemical reaction of being in brine) or steam them slightly if you have any concerns about reactions to raw vs. cooked veges.

3. Place asparagus, garlic, and spices in glass jar. Pour brine in until all parts of the asparagus are submerged.

4. Let sit in the refrigerator for a week, then enjoy!


*These ingredients should be avoided if you have a spice allergy also, or add substitute ingredients depending on flavor preferences.

**Refer to earlier recipe.