Method

• Prepare a boiling water bath and two jars that will hold roughly 700mls of liquid (you can also substitute four 350mls jars)
• Place lids in a small pan of water and bring to a bare simmer
• Combine apple cider vinegar, water and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil
• While blanching the pot lids, wash asparagus and trim to fit in your jars
• Add the jars to the boiling water bath to sterilise
• In a separate pot, blanch asparagus for 60 seconds
• When time is up, transfer asparagus to a colander and rinse with cold water
•   Carefully remove the jars from the water bath and drain
• Divide garlic cloves, crushed red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper evenly between jars
• Pack asparagus spears into jars
• Pour the pickling liquid over the asparagus, leaving about 1cm of headspace
• Tap jars gently to remove any air bubbles
• Add more liquid to return headspace to 1cm, if necessary
• Wipe rims, apply lids and rings, and process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes
• When time is up, remove jars from the water bath and let them cool on a folded kitchen towel
• Let them cure for at least a week before eating