Pickle My Fancy

We live in a place where fresh, locally grown produce is readily available at fruit stand after fruit stand after fruit stand. And for killer deals. Last fall I canned applesauce with my friend Holly and peaches with my mom. After sampling some pickled asparagus for the first time, I decided that would be my next canning adventure. Luckily Holly was willing to embark on it with me. It is so fun to have a friend that enjoys the same activities and endeavors as me! I got about 10 lbs of asparagus which yielded 7 qt size jars. I was hoping for more, so the next day I restocked on supplies and canned another 10# by myself. We thought we had found a pretty decent deal on asparagus at $1.29/lb the first day, but the second day at the same fruit stand I ended up getting almost 11# of asparagus for $6.00- SCORE. Here are a few photos of the process...
-$6.00 for 11#

-simple ingredients- white vinegar, water, jalepenos, garlic, and dill seed, pickling salt

-first wash the asparagus

-then cut to jar length

-then blanch for 1 minute in boiling water (to maintain color), and stop the cooking in an ice water bath

-prep all the seasonings

-fill warmed jars with asparagus, garlic, jalepeno, dill seed and brine (the brine consists of water, vinegar and pickling salt that has been brought to boiling and then kept warm)
-place warmed lids and rings on the jars and finger tighten
-boil in canner for 15 minutes, keeping water at a rolling boil and covering the jars by 1 inch

-admire the finished product (should be ready to eat in a little for 2 weeks)