Water Bath Canning Pickled Asparagus - Easy Recipe

Name: Water Bath Canning Pickled Asparagus - Easy Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 9-11 lbs of Raw Asparagus; 3 ⅓ cups White Distilled Vinegar (5% acidity); 7 ⅓ cups water; 1 Pouch Mrs. Wages® Kosher Dill Pickle Mix

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If you grow asparagus, then you know it all comes at once and it comes quick! Water Bath Canning Pickled Asparagus - Easy Recipe is a delicious way to enjoy your harvest long after the season ends.

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This easy-to-follow recipe allows you to preserve the fresh taste of spring asparagus all year long, and the best part? It is fool proof! You will enjoy crispy and crunchy flavorful spears that are perfect for snacking, adding to salads, or serving as a zesty side dish at your next gathering.

In the Midwest, asparagus comes quick once the month of May hits. We are out in our asparagus patch daily picking the loot! Often, we will store the fresh asparagus wrapped tightly in a grocery bag, in the refrigerator, for up to a week. Then we have a whole refrigerator of asparagus ready to can at once!

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Harvesting Asparagus
Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
FAQ
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Water Bath Canning Pickled Asparagus - Easy Recipe
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I have other super simple beginner canning recipes on the blog as well! Check out this simple Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe with step by step canning instructions. Another great beginner recipe is this Strawberry Rhubarb Jam recipe or Canning Homemade Applesauce!

Harvesting Asparagus

Not long after my husband and I moved out to our farm place, we planted 300 asparagus root. This was a large undertaking, but now we get an abundance of asparagus each year. We love fresh asparagus grilled with some olive oil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. However, when asparagus is ready - it is ready. It grows quite rapidly, leaving with huge amounts of asparagus all at once!

Asparagus takes a few years to become established, so it is best to wait 3 years or more before picking newly planted asparagus root.

When asparagus reaches about 6-10 inches in length and is about the diameter of your index finger, it is ready to harvest. To harvest, grasp the spear at the soil and bend. The spear should snap cleanly where it is tender. Another option is to use a sharp knife or scissors and snip about 2 inches beneath the soil surface.

Pro Tip - Do not harvest asparagus past July first. This will allow the plants to store energy for next year’s production.

Ingredients

Only four simple ingredients are needed to can asparagus. The end result is a delicious crunchy dill flavored asparagus spear to enjoy throughout the year!

Raw Asparagus
White Distilled Vinegar (5% acidity)
Water
Mrs. Wages® Kosher Dill Pickle Mix

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step 1 - Sterilizing the Mason Jars and Lids

There are multiple ways to do this:

Dishwasher Method - Some dishwashers have a sanitize function on the dishwasher which works well for preparing the mason jars. The downfall, however, is this can be a time consuming method.
Oven Method - Wash the jars with soap, rinse, but do not dry. Place upside down on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 20 minutes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit (130 degrees Celsius). Carefully remove the hot jars for canning.
Boiling Method - Wash the jars with soap and rinse. Place jars in a large pot of boiling water (like the water bath canner) and let them sanitize for 20 minutes. Remove jars and let air dry before use.

For the lids - place in a small sauce pan of hot water until it is time to add them to the jars.

Step 2 - Prepping the Asparagus

Wash asparagus and trim the asparagus. Remove any tough scales and the “woody ends” part of the asparagus if it isn’t freshly picked. To do this, hold the upper part of the asparagus with the right hand and bend the lower base of the asparagus downward with your left hand until it breaks clean.

Another option is to cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Small spears work too. Our personal preference is to keep the asparagus in spears. Tall spears can be used as well, not all pieces need the tops.

Pack asparagus spears, right side up, tightly into the sterilized jars. I prefer the raw pack method (not cooking the asparagus) prior to packing. This helps keep a crispy pickled spear.

Step 3 - Making the Brine

For the brine, I prefer to use Mrs. Wages® Kosher Dill Pickles Quick Process® Pickle Mix. This keeps the process simple and foolproof, and is so yummy! Added bonus, the asparagus keeps a nice crisp crunch.

Combine the Vinegar, Water and Mrs.Wages Kosher Dill Pickle mix into a large non-reactive pot or saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring consistently until mixture dissolves. Remove from heat.

Using a canning funnel and a ladle, pour the hot brine into the green asparagus filled sterilized jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe the jar rim with a clean paper towel or damp cloth. Using the magnet lid lifter tool, grab the jar lid from the small sauce pan, and carefully place it on the jar. Loosely screw the rings onto the lids to ensure the lids stay in place.

Adding dill pickle brine to prepped asparagus jars for water bath canning

Step 4 - Canning the Asparagus

Add hot water to a little over ½ of the water bath canner and bring to a full boil.

Place the filled jars on the inner wire rack of the water bath canner and lower it into the boiling water. Add the lid to the canner. Process for 15 minutes in boiling water (Quart Jars or process pint jars for 10 minutes).

After the 15 minutes is up, turn off the heat and carefully remove the canner lid. Grab the metal insert by the handles (with oven mitts) and raise the jars up, carefully hooking the handles onto the edge of the water bath canner. Let the jars sit for 5 minutes.

Lay out a hand towel or a doubled up flour sack towel on a counter surface. This will act as a barrier between the hot jars and cool counter, preventing the counter and keeping the jars from bursting with the drastic temperature change. Using the jar lifter tool, carefully remove the jars from the wire insert and place them on the towel.

Allow jars to sit and cool, undisturbed, for 12-24 hours at room temperature. Test jars for airtight seals. The lids will not make a popping sound when pushed down on and will not pop off when pulled up on.

Pro Tip - I always make a couple batches of “hot asparagus” by adding fresh jalapeños, cleaned and sliced, to the pickling brine.

Hint:

Unused brine can be stored in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to one week!
The processing time for the pickled asparagus is different, the length of time will depend on the size of the mason jar being used.
Processing time listed is for altitudes less than 1000 feet. At Altitudes of 1000 feet or more, increase processing time 1 minute for each 1000 feet of altitude.
If we have fresh dill, I like to add some to the jar before canning.
Mrs. Wages has a product called Xtra Crunch, which is calcium chloride granules. This will add an additional crunch, but isn’t necessary. However, adding a natural tanning such as grape leaves is a better ingredient option for keeping the asparagus firm.
When I first started canning I would submerge the jars under the water, ensuring at least an inch of boiling water would cover the jars. This has been successful. However, I have since learned that is not necessary, and less water is required.

Variations

Try these delicious variations:

Spicy - add jalapeños or other hot peppers for a delicious zing
Savory - add some fresh garlic for a savory garlic dill flavored asparagus spear

Equipment

Canning Equipment - Large water bath canner
Canning Tools - a great kit makes life easier! (jar lifter, funnel, magnetic lid lifter)
Chopping Knife
Large Mixing Bowl
Large Stock Pot (non-reactive)
Canning Jars - Quart Jars or Pint Jars (new mason jars and lids or used jars with new lid - seal must be intact)

Storage

If a jar of homemade canning asparagus does not completely seal, store in the refrigerator and consume within 1 week. Sealed jars will be shelf stable for up to 1 year, storing in a cool dark place.

We store our canned goods in the basement on sturdy shelves. In addition, we prefer to store our canned goods without the outer rings or screw bands on the jars. Removing the ring bands prevents rust, mold, and vermin. Plus, the rings can trap moisture or food residue which can make bands difficult to remove.

FAQ

Does asparagus need to be pressure canned?

Pressure canning is another option for preserving asparagus, however we have water bath canned pickled asparagus for generations. The acidity is higher using vinegar and pickling the asparagus before canning.

Is the canned asparagus mushy?

No, using this method of canning asparagus it will stay fairly crunchy.

What is the white stuff on canned asparagus?

The white spots are not harmful, they are called rutin. When asparagus is heated with vinegar it produces the crystalized bioflavonoid called rutin.

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