Ingredients
1 1/2 qt water
1 qt white vinegar
5 tbsp plain salt (non-iodized)
2 tbsp pickling spice
7 lb fresh asparagus
1 garlic cloves (1 per quart)
1 hot chili peppers (1 per quart)
Directions
Bring to boil the water, vinegar, and salt. Boil for 15 minutes.
Remove all cloves from pickling spice or as many as possible. Wrap
remaing spice in cheese cloth or tea holder and hang in vinegar
mixture. Break off ends of asparagus and blanch for 1 to 1-1/2
minutes. Then plunge into ice water. Place in each jar 1 clove garlic
and one hot chile pepper. Pack asparagus in jars standing on end,
then pour brine into jars, making sure it is very hot at time to
insure a good seal on jars. Store in pantry to 2-1/2 to 3 months
before opening jars. Makes 4 quarts.
Origin: A Taste of Oregon Shared by: Sharon Stevens.
Servings: 4 servings
Pickled Asparagus Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Vegetable
The History of Recipes
We are able to trace the history of `recipes` far back into distant history, in truth as far back into history as the ancient Egyptians, and quite possibly further than that. Interesting though that is, generally, these old cookbooks were just very simple pictorial instructions for preparing food.
The truth of the matter is, the most ancient recipe discovered so far, according to academics is a series of ancient tablets in Sumerian which recount the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made those who drank it feel `blissful`. As we move into Roman times 25BC a roman called Apicius created some scripts which described recipes enjoyed by his fellow Romans. In his scrolls, he tells us how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into appetizers, main meal and desserts, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. Additionally, he informs us how the Roman chefs used many spices, including a few that will be familiar to modern cooks such as thyme, mint and parsley. As we move on, we find two interesting recipe books dating from the fourteenth century - a cookery book called `Forme of Cury`, and another named `Curye on Inglish`. Despite their titles, these two books are unconnected to the indian curry that is served today, but instead descriptions of the types of food eaten by the rich and wealthy people of that time. Later, in the fifteenth century, people returning from the crusades brought back many new spices and herbs from middle-east cuisine, including spices like coriander, parsley, and basil. The introduction of these new culinary ideas led to an eruption in books on cookery, the majority of which are now in academic collections. During the next few centuries, the powerful and rich tried to serve up the most exotic banquets, and because of this the best chefs and their recipes were at a premium. However, it was during the 19th century that cookery and cookery books rose to prominence. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Merritt Farmer in the US, devoted their lives to collating, testing, and publishing the recipes that were being prepared for the better households. By the advent of the 20th century, cookbooks are increasing in popularity mostly due to higher levels of literacy, people having increased free time and having more disposable income. The revolution that is television gave us celebrity chefs and the accompanying recipe books. Which pretty much brings us up to date and the invention of the internet, allowing us all to access thousands of recipes like the ones you can find on this web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Pickled Asparagus recipe.
