Pickled Skinny Asparagus Snacks
These are very hot little firecrackers from the orient. They can be used to add spice to almost any oriental dish. They dry very easily and can be stored and used this way for a long time.
Ingredients
1 quart size mason jar or any jar of similar size
1 bunch of skinny asparagus
Pickling Spices:
3 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1 tsp whole peppercorns
2 dried bay leaves
2 fresh dill fronds
4 dried Thai or Japanese chiles
1 tsp red chili flakes
Salt Water Brine:
2½ cups water
2¼ tsp sea salt
1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar or raw pineapple vinegar
Instructions
Soak the asparagus in ice water for 20 minutes to make them very crisp.
Trim asparagus to fit the jar.
Add asparagus to jar making sure the spears are sticking straight up.
Add all the pickling spices to the jar (garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, dill, dried chiles & chili flakes).
To make the salt water brine: Add sea salt and ½ cup of warm water to a bowl.
Stir until salt has dissolved.
Add the remaining 2 cups of water to the bowl. Wait until the water has cooled to room temperature. If it is cool to touch add the apple cider vinegar.
Pour brine into the jar with the asparagus. There should be enough to submerge the asparagus under the brine. If not, make more brine and add to jar.
Cover the jar loosely with a lid or cotton cloth secured with a rubber band. Store in a cool place away from direct sunlight for 5-7 days.
Once the brine is cloudy, take an asparagus out and taste it. If it smells like pickle heaven and tastes pickly too, they are ready. Store in the fridge. Otherwise leave them out to ferment longer and try them again in a day or two.
Notes
You can either use pickling weights to keep the asparagus submerged under the brine or shake the asparagus up every few days to prevent mold from growing on the surface. If mold develops on top, scrape it off. Everything under the brine is totally fine.
From fermentedfoodlab.com