The Quebec asparagus season runs from about Mother’s Day until Saint-Jean Baptiste (that’s our “national” holiday, June 24). So: welcome, oh tall, skinny friend, oh gentle perfumer of urine. Yes, besides sprouts and lettuces, asparagus is about the only thing from Quebec at the market at the moment. Though I did spot a bit of mangy, early-bird rhubarb.

Anyway, it was thrilling to bust out the canning pot and get to work on these locally harvested green spears. This recipe is extremely similar to my cucumber pickle recipe. Here’s looking forward to cracking a jar in a few weeks, maybe pairing some with creamy scrambled eggs and grated parm…

Pickled asparagus

4 lbs asparagus

2 1/2 cups water

1 1/4 cups vinegar

1 1/4 cups white wine vinegar

2 tsp kosher or pickling salt

5 cloves of garlic, halved or slivered

5 good-sized sprigs of fresh dill (or more)

1 tsp each peppercorns, coriander seeds and red pepper flakes

Rinse asparagus under cold water and drain. Slice off tough, brownish bottoms, then cut asparagus in two (if you’re using half-pint/250ml jars, make sure you cut them to fit). Bring a pot of water to a low boil, blanch bottom halves for about 90 seconds, blanch the top halves for a minute, plunging both into ice water and swirling them around immediately after blanching. Set aside to drain.

Combine vinegars, water and salt in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and prepare your jars. This recipe makes about 10 half-pint (250ml) jars or 5 pint (500ml) jars. Distribute garlic, dill and spices evenly across your hot, clean jars (I wash then boil mine in the canning pot). Stuff as many asparagus halves as possible into each jar without crushing or bruising them (tightness is key as you don’t want any bobbing up and out of the pickling solution), then pour your water and vinegar over top, leaving about a 1/2 inch of head space.

Now you have the choice of boiling the jars for 10 minutes or using the slow pasteurization method, which I prefer for pickles: process your jars at a simmer, somewhere between 180-185F (82-85C) for 30 minutes. This really helps them stay crisper.