Here is the recipe I used, from the book Putting Up. To be honest, I didn't love the book, and returned it to Amazon after jotting down one or two things in it I wanted to try. Just being honest in case you're looking for book ideas.
Prepare jar(s) or other quart-sized container(s). If you use a container you want it to be long and skinny so you don't have to cut your asparagus too short to fit. I went with a quart canning jar.
To each jar, add:
1 tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp celery seed
1 slice lemon, peel on
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic
Trim asparagus and insert one stalk into the jar/container you plan to use, cutting it about 1/2 inch shorter to fit. Using that as a template, and cut all your asparagus to the same length. Here is where the right container might come in handy - a tall, skinny jar would be great, because there is less asparagus wasted. However you can use the trimmed ends to use soup, so all's not lost!
Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 10 seconds, then transfer to cold water bath or rinse in a colander under cold water to stop cooking. Load as much asparagus into the jar as will fit.
Meanwhile, bring pickling solution to a boil (amounts are per quart of pickles you will make):
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 tbsp salt
Fill jars with the hot liquid and cool on counter, then store in fridge. If you are a canning type, you can do a big batch and at this point, process jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes (I think. this is one of the reasons I didn't keep this book - it leaves out important instructions like that).
I really liked these pickles. They are crisp and tangy and great as a snack with a sliced, hard cheese. Jenny didn't like them. She thought they were too pickly. So, your mileage may vary.
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