Description
Healthy, tasty, and…romantic?
Ingredients
Scale
- 30 asparagus spears
- 1/3 cup salt
- 2 quarts water
- 1 2/3 cups distilled white vinegar
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dill seed
- 2 sprigs fresh dill
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 whole garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
Instructions
- Trim the cut end of asparagus spears; slice them into 3-inch lengths. Place in a large bowl with 1/3 cup salt. Pour in water to cover asparagus; let stand for 2 hours. Drain and rinse under cool water, and pat dry.
- Sterilize two pint-sized wide mouth jars in simmering water for 5 minutes.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine vinegar, sugar, dill seed, 1 teaspoon salt, and mustard seed. Bring to a boil and simmer for one minute.
- Pack asparagus spears, tips up, in the hot jars leaving 1/2 inch of space from the rim. Tuck one dill sprig, 1 bay leaf, and 2 whole garlic cloves into each jar; sprinkle in 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Pour hot pickling liquid into the jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the rim. Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth and seal with lids.
- Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars 2 inches apart into the boiling water using a holder. Pour in more boiling water to cover jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, and process for 10 minutes.
- Cool jars to room temperature. Check seals when cool by pressing the center of the lid. It should not move. Label and date; store in a cool dark place.