Claussen-Style Garlic & Dill Knockoff Pickles

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 !!!