Alan's Pickled Asparagus

Alan’s Pickled Asparagus

Ingredients

Asparagus spears

1/3 cup coarse salt
2 quarts cold water
1 2/3 cups vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pickling salt
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 1/2 teaspoons dill seed
(1 TBS Pickling Spices)
Sliced onion rings
Garlic cloves
Sprigs fresh dill

Directions

Trim the cut end of the asparagus spears. Place them in a large bowl with 1/3 cup salt, and cover with water. Let stand for 2 hours. Drain and rinse under cool water, and pat dry.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, sugar, pickling salt, mustard seed, and dill seed. Bring to a boil, and boil for one minute.

Place onion rings on bottom of jar.  Pack the asparagus spears, tips up, in the jar.  Place the garlic cloves in leaving 1/2 of space from the rim. Tuck dill sprigs into jar. Pour hot pickling liquid into the, filling to within 1/4 inch of the rim.

Cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate and eat within two weeks.