If it doesn't have that much vinegar it will put you at a risk for botulism. It needs all that vinegar for safety reasons. To offset the tartness we suggest you add some sugar.

Agree with Linda Lou - you can't cut the vinegar for safety reason but you can add sugar. Or just use a sweet pickling recipe. If you will post the recipe you want to use we can tell you if it can be adjusted in any way.

We prefer dilled asparagus and use the Dilly Beans recipe for it. Linked it below.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Dilled Beans

Although freezing softens them quite a bit, you could do a blanch and freeze. I cook them from the frozen state in the microwave and add no water. In fact, I drain out the water they exude. This year, becuuse of the odd heat wave, my 'gus has not produced as well as it should. Spears were a bit smaller and fewer. It may be due to using some of last years corn gluten, which probaly started to break down because it was stored outdoors..

Thanks Lin and Dig; I suspect my recipe may be OK, but the finishing method is not. Here goes:

2 1/2 Cup Vinegar
2 1/2 Cug Water
2 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoon Sugar
Dash each, Nutmeg, Tumeric, Dill seed. (I substituted these for pickling spice, I didn't have any)
Several cloves Garlic
Whole Black Peppercorns

This makes enough for 3-4 pints.

The recipe says to blanch gus for 1 minute and plunge into cold water. Pack into jars with a garlic clove, peppercorn and some red pepper flakes. BWB for 10 mins, wait at least 3 weeks and enjoy.

The pepper flakes are dried from my garden. I would like to add sliced onion or other ingredients (hot peppers) as they are available. This is really quite good, but I am afraid to supply to anyone. HELP! Can I safely substitute the pickling spices, I find the mixtures available here to be too strong. And I can buy pepper flakes, but would rather use my own. That way I can regulate the heat of the pickles. Do I need to wait longer than 3 weeks, or do I need to wait that long at all? Since asparagus grows so quickly I put in just stems to fill a jar. It tastes just as good, but is not as pretty, is that OK? Thanks for all the tips, Rock.

Well the first problem is that you only have a 50/50 vinegar to water ratio and that is minimum allowed acidity (like Dilly Beans recipe). So cutting it even further would be impossible.

Spices and other additives, as long as they are dried (not fresh), can be safely adjusted to taste as they won't affect the pH. But adding fresh onions or fresh peppers (low acid veggies) lowers the acidity even more so could you live with using dried onions flakes and your dried peppers? Then add sugar to taste to off-set the acidity if you wish.

The 3 week wait is just for flavor development so technically you can open them whenever you want. Taste will be weaker the earlier your open. Stems as long as you blanch them first are fine. You can even peel the really coarse parts and use them too.

Hope this helps.

Dave

Here is a link to a safe recipe. You can add any dried herb or spice, as said, just not extra fresh things not called for.
This is a good recipe. I have used it before.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pickled asparagus recipe.

Yes, thats not safe, as its 50:50 water vinegar like Dave said. Years ago it could have been safe when vinegar was at a 7% strength or higher. I don't even add any water to any of my pickle brines. It help retain crispness, food grade calcium chloride can ue added per jar. Its the same as the now discontinued Ball Pickle Crisp, and is sold by Bulk Foods.

Hey guys, thanks for the input. I think you are saying that if I use the recipe I have as is, without cutting the amount of vinegar, I will be OK? Adding fresh, low acid ingredients, such as onions or peppers is NOT a good idea. Substituting other DRIED spices for the pickling spice is OK, but don't use fresh? Thanks, Rock

No, suggest that you make the vinegar at 70% and water at 30%. Dried veggies will soak up any liqids be it water or vinegar, so that will only reduce the overall liquid in the jars. Starting with a higher vinegar (5% strength) to water ratio is safer. If you use dill, the fresh has more flaver than dried. In fact, the dill seed heads while green and swelled make for more dill flavor. My dill starts to form seed heads when my cukes start to produce. The dill was sprouted outdoors from last years dill plants that dropped seeds everywhere. One time, they were sprouting in the cracks on the floor inside my small greenhouse.

I've never canned before, so I'd like to make refrigerator asparagus pickles (the reality is that my husband will eat them all very quickly as soon as they are ready, so I don't think I need to worry about putting them up). How long do refrigerator pickles typically last? Here's a recipe that I found -- how does it look?

* 4 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
* 3 cups water
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup canning-and-pickling salt
* 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
* 1 tablespoon pickling spices
* 3 pounds fresh asparagus spears (about 3 bunches)
* 6 fresh dill sprigs
* 3 garlic cloves

Also, where can I find canning and pickling salt? I looked at our grocery store -- no luck.

Thanks!!!

It is too, safe. If you will look at the USDA recipe you will see it is 50/50 water and vinegar.
Yes, it is adding the extra low acid things that is the problem. Dried things are fine.

As for a refrigerator recipe, you would keep it approx. 3 months. WalMart here has the pickling salt. If you have BiMart, they should have it, too.

bustergordon - The canning salt is usually sold in both the canning section and in the spices section next to the regular salt. Any local store that sells any canning supplies should have it.

Ken - 50/50 is approved for both the dilly beans and the pickled asparagus recipe Linda Lou linked from NCHFP. For other type pickles I agree with you that 70/30 is best or even more.

Dave

Ok, but as I say, I use full strength 5% and no added water to my vinegar in many of my pickle types. Using this ratio affords me the peace of mind that my vacuum process for no heat pepperoncini will be safe. One thing about freshly pickled 'gus, let them marinate in it for a week or two before you open a jar. Refrigeration would give you a crispter longer lasting pickle.