After I wrote this, I had an unexpected result: floaters!  Uh oh. You never want the ingredients in the air space, so I inverted the jars to let them cure. They were fully sealed but since the blend of spices was a complete experiment, I won’t be sad to decant after a month to test-taste. Next time, I might cut the asparagus even shorter, so they’ll be covered, or really crush them in there. Last year, I pickled asparagus later in the season and the larger ones stayed put.

Having made my usual curried asparagus soup a couple of weeks ago, I thought it might be interesting to add the curry flavors to pickled asparagus. Knowing that curry powder dissolves best in oil and not wanting to add any (or much) oil to the brine and throw off the acidity, I thought, why not supplement it with the whole spices themselves? So, I added cardamom seeds (the black insides, not the hulls), fenugreek, allspice, coriander, cumin seed, and black mustard seed to the brining liquid. I also made a slurry of curry powder, adding a drop or two of vegetable oil just to get it started. Because the curry powder doesn’t really dissolve, I strained the brine before pouring it over the asparagus packed in jars. For the jars with curry spices, I used white vinegar and increased the amount slightly since I thought the asparagus would water it down and it has less acidity (5%) than the stronger white wine vinegar I usually use.

Last year I made pickled asparagus with dill seed, garlic and red pepper flakes, which was delicious but too salty and pretty pungent. So I added a little sugar and decreased the salt after checking a few sources to see how much they added. This year, I went back to an old standby: tarragon.

The trick with asparagus is first to match the general thickness, trim them the same height to fit in the jar and then cram them in so they won’t float. (ha in hindsight) Since they’ll soften when you parboil them, use about double the number of stalks that fit in the jar raw. After I put a handful in, I added more with children’s chopsticks (the ones that are attached at the end, like long wood tweezers), and also used them to get the air bubbles out before sealing.

You need to set the pickled asparagus aside for about a month before eating it, so I’ll be interested to see how my curry spice experiment worked. Also, I usually place them in the jars with tips up, but Ashley English of Small Measures (see last month’s Tigress Can Jam on herbs) suggested tips down. So I did some of each.

Pickled Asparagus with Curry Spices (1-2 12-oz jars)

1-2 lbs asparagus, cut into lengths according to the depth of the jar

Pan of ice water

1 ¼ cup white vinegar

1 cup water

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp kosher or pickling salt

1 tsp curry powder

A few drops of vegetable oil

½ tsp per jar of a mix of cardamom seeds, allspice berries, coriander seeds, cumin seed, fenugreek granules, mustard seed, caraway seed and/or other spices typically found in a curry

Boil water in a large flat pan and add a handful of asparagus, not so many spears as to cover the base of the pan. (Do this in batches so you don’t overcook the asparagus.) Cook only long enough to bring the water back to a boil (about a minute), remove to a pan of ice water to cool quickly, drain immediately upon cool and set aside to continue draining.  Pack tightly into prepared jars.  Pack more tightly than you think possible, taking care not to break the asparagus.

Stir the sugar and salt into the water to dissolve. Make a slurry of the curry powder with a drop or two of oil and water, stirring to dissolve the powder to the extent possible, Add to the water mixture with the spices and bring to a simmer. Add the vinegar and bring just to the boil. Pour over asparagus packed in jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Seal and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes once the boiling point is reached. Turn off heat, remove lid and let stand for 5 minutes to calm, then remove to a safe place to stand undisturbed for 24 hours.

Pickled Asparagus with Herbs (1-2 12-oz jars)

1-2 lbs asparagus, cut into lengths according to the depth of the jar

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 cup water

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp kosher or pickling salt

1 sprig or two of herbs per jar (I used tarragon, but dill, oregano, thyme would also work)

Boil water in a large flat pan and add a handful of asparagus, not so many spears as to cover the base of the pan. (Do this in batches so you don’t overcook the asparagus.) Cook only long enough to bring the water back to a boil (about a minute), remove to a pan of ice water to cool quickly, drain immediately upon cool and set aside to continue draining.  Pack tightly into prepared jars.  Pack more tightly than you think possible, taking care not to break the asparagus.  Include a sprig or two of herbs in the jar.

Stir the sugar and salt into the water to dissolve. Add the vinegar and bring just to the boil. Pour over asparagus packed in jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Seal and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes once the boiling point is reached. Turn off heat, remove lid and let stand for 5 minutes to calm, then remove to a safe place to stand undisturbed for 24 hours.

Categories: Asparagus, Preserving, Tigress Can JamTags: Asparagus, Curried pickled asparagus, Preserving