A Perfect Bite: Edgar Farms Pickled Asparagus Bits in Calgary

There’s a specific kind of pantry obsession that sneaks up on you: one day you’re calmly adding “a little something pickled” to a snack plate, and the next you’re eating straight from the jar at 10 p.m. like it’s a perfectly normal hobby. For me, it’s been a long-time hobby, but lately, the Edgar Farms Pickled Asparagus Bits (Dill & Garlic) have become one of my favourite jars to twist open.

I first grabbed a jar at the Calgary Farmers’ Market a few months back, thinking I’d toss a spoonful or two of the asparagus pieces into a salad and call it a day. Cute.

Two jars later and I am currently regretting not bringing one along with me while I spend the holidays over in Prague. Thankfully, before I headed overseas, I made a TikTok singing the little green guys’ praises. They’re bite-sized, crunchy, the dill and garlic are both ever-present, and the brine itself is definitely sippable.

Edgar Farms, based near Innisfail, has Alberta-wide credibility for its asparagus, but they grow all sorts of other vegetables too (and their pickled carrots are also top-notch). Whether it’s the Pickled Asparagus Bits, carrots, pepper relish or otherwise, their preserves hit that sweet spot between farm-stand nostalgia and genuinely useful modern pantry fuel.

Speaking from personal experience, you’ll soon find yourself inventing reasons to put them on things, and then realizing you didn’t need a reason in the first place.

Jar of Edgar Farms pickled asparagus bits with dill and garlic

My favourite move lately is the low-effort, high-reward snack plate: slices of aged cheddar, miscellaneous crackers that are kickin’ around in my cupboard, some honey mustard, and a generous spoonful of these asparagus bits. They’re a little small to use as a garnish for Caesars, but you can still lean into the brine while mixing one up.

They also slip seamlessly into actual cooking. A small handful stirred into my grilled scallion, green bean and mozzarella salad adds a briny snap that goes perfectly with the smoky grilled scallions and soft cheese. For even more payoff (and less food waste), try using a splash of the pickle brine in a salad dressing by swapping it for some or all of the vinegar or lemon juice in a basic vinaigrette recipe.

(I’ve written more about how and why this works in this guide to using pickle juice to make salad dressing.)

The same logic applies to soup. If you’re making something like this very popular recipe for dill pickle and leek soup that landed in my 2023 cookbook Prairie, try using a little less chopped pickle and folding in some of these asparagus bits instead—or just tossing them in at the end for texture. The dill-and-garlic notes feel right at home, adding brightness without overwhelming the creamy base.

Edgar Farms products are sold through the Innisfail Growers booth, which is my favourite pitstop at the market, and that co-op is set up to keep good local produce (and the good stuff in jars) in rotation at both Calgary Farmers’ Market locations. In other words: your jar habit is supported, enabled, and frankly encouraged.

If you’re the kind of person who believes pickles are a personality trait (hi, welcome!), do yourself a favour and grab a couple jars at a time. One for the fridge door… and one for emergencies? Sure, why not!