Pickled Asparagus

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 5 cloves garlic, sliced
• 15 allspice berries
• 30 black peppercorns
• 20 coriander seeds
• 5 pieces mace or 5 pieces nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 lbs asparagus, trimmed to fit into 12-ounce jelly jars
• 2 1/2 cups wine vinegar
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pickling salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Recipe

• 1 divide the garlic, allspice, peppercorns, coriander, mace or nutmeg, and pepper flakes (if you're using them) among 5,12-ounce jelly jars.
• 2 pack the asparagus vertically in the jars, tips down or up.
• 3 in a nonreactive saucepan, bring to a boil the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.
• 4 pour the hot liquid over the asparagus, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
• 5 close the jars with hot two-piece caps.
• 6 process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath, or pasteurize the jars for 30 minutes in water heated to 180° to 185° f.
• 7 store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks before eating the asparagus.