I’ve always been a fan of Claussen pickles. I tolerate some of those other dill pickles but I always levitate back to Claussen. Why? It goes back to the early 1960s when I was about 12 years old and worked at a Deli sweeping floors. My salary … I could eat whatever I wanted and I chose Deli Pickles that came in those big barrels! Yup, I was hooked.
I searched and chose 6 Claussen-style Knockoff recipes which I morphed into my own. Unlike canning, pickling does not require boiling the crispy goodness from your pickles and can be stored/kept in your refrigerator for up to a year. Presuming they taste OK, mine won’t last that long!!
I was going to try and grow my own pickle cucumbers but figured the chances of harvesting enough cucumbers at once to make it worthwhile to pickle were slim. So I checked with my local grocery store only to find that they didn’t have any pickling cucumbers in stock. Talked to the Produce manager and he said he would order me a lug of pickling cucumbers which he sold me at his cost – $22.50. Got me 19 quart jars out of it.
Sterilize jars and wash the cucumbers – DO NOT use regular store-bought cucumbers. They are usually coated with wax to preserve them over long shipping/storage periods which does not bode well with the pickling/canning processes.
Brine:
This makes enough brine for 4 quart jars. No need to boil the brine. Combine in a large pitcher. Stir until salt is dissolved. Set aside.
- 6 cups of filtered water
- 2 cups Apple Cider vinegar
- ½ cup Pickling & Canning salt … Do not use regular table or sea salt
Ingredients for each quart jar:
- 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced in half
- ½ tsp mustard seed
- 8 fresh dill sprigs/heads
- 1 tsp pepper corn
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dehydrated minced/chopped onion
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
Instructions:
- Tightly pack sliced cucumbers spears and/or slices in each quart jar
- Pour pickling brine over cukes
- Cover tightly with lids and turn the jars upside-down and right-side up a couple of times to distribute the seasoning
- Loosen the lid and allow to sit on the counter for 3 days, shaking or turning them occasionally
- On the 4th day, tighten the lids, and refrigerate the pickles
- Most recipes state that these Claussen/style pickles will keep in the refrigerator for 6 months to a year
Disclaimer:
This is my first attempt at making these pickles so there are no guarantees made … I’ll know in a few days to a week how they turn out but all the recipes were virtually identical to my morphed recipe so theoretically they should turn out delicious !!!
Smoker Pete
These pickles turned out GREAT!!! I recommend leaving them in the fridge at least a week before trying them . You won’t be sorry … All my friends and family that have tasted these pickles rave about them and are now making their own.