Sweet and Sour Asparagus

This is great at a picnic when you have tired of all the same old salads. Very versatile, you can serve it cold or room temperature. You can certainly chop up the asparagus, but I found that it always overcooks. I like the presentation of the long spears on a nice white platter. This goes great with a platter of sliced baked ham and some potato salad or with hamburgers and hot dogs. Enjoy!

Original recipe makes 8 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon salt

PREP

5 mins
COOK

10 mins
READY IN

8 hrs 15 mins

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the asparagus, and cook uncovered until slightly tender, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Once the asparagus spears are cold, place them on paper towels to dry.
Bring vinegar, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, celery seed, and salt to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes.
Spread the asparagus spears in a large dish or baking pan. Pour the vinegar mixture over the asparagus. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and serve cold or at room temperature.