Claussen Pickles are dill pickles at their crunchiest, saltiest best! These homemade Claussen pickles taste just like the commercial ones you find at the store, if not better.
Whether you’re new to pickle making or a pickle veteran, you NEED to make these refrigerator pickles! And wonder of wonders, you don’t need to know how to can to make these super fresh, crunchy pickles!
Homemade Claussen Knock-Off Pickles: Always crunchy and garlicky, this perfect homemade pickle recipe requires no special equipment, & no canning experience.
It’s common knowledge that I have a salty tooth rather than a sweet tooth. When the weather does what it has been doing lately (making us all do our best Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego impersonations) I can’t think of a single thing I find more refreshing than an icy-cold, salty, crunchy pickle.
Oh yes. You can keep your popsicles* and those icy squeezy pop things whose name currently escapes me. I’m on deck with the pickles.
*I will, however, fight you for fudgesicles. That’s just the way it is.
It’s not just me, it’s my whole family: mother, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, grandparents, kids, husband… I married a man who loves pickles so much he eats the pickles and then drinks the juice from the jar.
In fact, in an attempt to show my husband just how much she loved him, my mom made a special pickle juice drink for him at our wedding. And he drank it*. Happily.
*He drinks pickle juice regularly in hot weather. He claims it is “Gatorade for people who don’t like sweets.” I love him.
Dill Pickle Recipe
I grew up eating my Grandma’s homemade dill pickles like the supply was endless and moved on to canning my own pickles as soon as I had a kitchen of my own. There’s just something about a homemade dill pickle that makes me happier than any pickled cucumber ever should.
My little sister, Jessamine, and I compare our homemade pickles from year to year the way some people compare wine vintages.
But there is one pickle that stands head-and-shoulders (were pickles to *have* heads and shoulders) above all others. I’m talking about the pickles you see here. That’s right: Homemade Claussen Knock-Off Pickles.
Claussen Pickle Recipe
These are homemade refrigerated deli pickles, also known as Lithuanian half-sours, also known (in the commercial equivalent) as Claussen dill kosher pickles, also known as the best pickles ever known to mankind.
Here’s the thing. While I do love my other homemade pickles dearly (otherwise why would I continue canning ninety-something quarts year after year after year), these are by far my all-time favourites.
CRUNCH. That’s what you hear when you bite these. There is no flop, no squish, no slime. These things almost bite back.
Claussens were long the benchmark for which I aimed in pickle making. I was so happy to nail it with this recipe for Homemade Claussen Knock-Off Pickles!
This also happens to be the perfect dill pickle recipe for beginning pickle makers. If you’re not into canning, these refrigerator pickles are a godsend. Even if you ARE canning obsessed, like yours truly, this Claussen pickle recipe should be in your pickle repertoire too.
Please note that this Claussen pickle recipe is not suitable for canning. The brine is fermented and not very acidic, which means it has far too high a PH to can safely. If you’re looking for a great canned dill pickle recipe, try this home canned garlic dill pickle recipe.
Refrigerator Pickles
Here’s where we get into the best part of this pickle recipe (aside from the crunch and flavor). You don’t have to cook anything to make these pickles; not one single thing. The brine is stirred together, the cucumbers are rinsed, trimmed and stuffed into a jar with garlic cloves and spices.
These pickles are NOT CANNED. They are simply put into jars. Amen!
When it’s summer time and the idea of turning on the stove makes me want to crawl into an (air conditioned) hole, these pickles are a welcome treat. Not only is that cold crunchy refrigerator pickle waiting to cool me off at the end of the prep time, but I don’t have to heat up my kitchen by even one single degree to get there.
Remember that pickling isn’t just for cucumbers, either! Try out our Pickled Brussels Sprouts!
How to Make Pickles
Please, please, please give these a go even if you have never made a pickle before. There is nothing scary or intimidating here. Wash, slice, stuff, stir, pour, sit, wait. Okay wait.
Yes. That last bit is hard. The waiting is hard.
On the plus side, the wait is only two to four days which is significantly less than the six week wait of the canned pickles. Besides, as I said, there is the crunch factor.
To make this Claussen pickles recipe, you need:
{Ingredients at a glance. Scroll down for full printable recipe.}
- Pickling Cucumbers (small to medium)
- Cider vinegar
- Pickling spices
- Dill
- Garlic
Trim 1/8-inch from the blossom end of each cucumber and slice them in half lengthwise or into quarters. The size you choose depends on how large your cucumbers are and how big you want the pickles to be when they’re done.
In a gallon jar (or large, wide-mouth, food-safe container) layer the dill heads or seed, garlic cloves and sliced cucumbers.
In a separate pitcher or bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients until the salt is dissolved.
Pour the brine over the cucumbers, taking care to make sure all of them are fully submerged. If needed, place a plate or mug or other non-reactive heavy item on the cucumbers to weigh them down and keep them under the brine!
Cover the jars lightly with a lid or cheesecloth secured with a rubber band. Leave out of direct sunlight on the counter for two to four days* (see notes below), or until the cucumbers taste like pickles throughout.
Secure the lids tightly on the jars and place them in the fridge to chill.
Bite, crunch and enjoy!
Get on the homemade Claussen knock-off pickle train, my friends, there’s plenty of room for all of us and if you don’t know what to do with the leftover brine, just pass it to my husband. He’ll “dispose” of it for you. Crrrrrrrrrrunch!
What can I serve with these Homemade Claussen Knock-Off Pickles?
Try them in this Dill Pickle Dip, Dill Pickle Egg Salad, Bagel Burgers with Dill Pickle Cream Cheese, Dill Pickle Pasta Salad, Dill Pickle Butter, or with these Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, Trashy Barbecue Pulled Pork and Toasted Cheese Sandwiches, and Cheeseburger Salad.
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Use these to make Homemade Claussen Knock-Off Pickles
Claussen Pickles
No matter what, a canned pickle is not going to end up like that lovely Claussen: crunchy to the point of making noise when you bite it, cold, and seriously garlicky. Canned, shelf-stable pickles can be chilled, maintain some crunch, and be as garlicky as you want them to be, but they are never, ever going to be the same thing because of science.
When you heat process a jar of pickles you are, in actuality, cooking it and a cooked pickle just plain can’t be as crunchy as an un-cooked one.
To put it another way, these refrigerator pickles are not suitable for canning. They’re simply not acidic enough to can safely, and that is in addition to the fact that you’d ruin that perfectly crisp texture by introducing heat to the party.
If at any point in the proceedings “fuzz” or “foam” develops on top of the brine, don’t panic! Use a spoon to remove it. If there is “fuzz” attached to any of the cucumbers, remove the affected ones and be sure the others are still fully submerged in brine.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Because there is so much diversity in temperature, humidity, age of cucumbers, etc… involved in this recipe, please check your pickles starting at 2 days for doneness. If the pickles smell/taste pickley, move them to the refrigerator. Do not keep them on the counter longer than 4 days.
These homemade pickles keep well in the fridge for about six months, as long as they remain submerged in the brine. In our house, they rarely last that long because, as the saying goes, “A pickle a day keeps sad times away.”
They say that right? Someone must. If not, I’m going to start. It’s true, after all.
Dill pickles at their crunchiest, saltiest best! These Claussen pickles taste just like the commercial ones you find at the store, if not better. Whether you’re new to pickle making or a pickle veteran, you NEED to make these refrigerator pickles!
And friends, if you’d made these amazing homemade pickles, you’d probably better try them on our Pickle Pizza. It is outrageously good. So good, in fact, you might start another batch of pickles right away!
Homemade Claussen Knock-Off Pickles
Ingredients
- 35 to 40 small to medium pickling cucumbers
- 1 gallon cold water
- 1 cup cider vinegar, preferably raw
- 2/3 c. coarse canning or kosher salt Do NOT fine or use iodized salt!
- 4 cloves garlic or more to taste
- 4 fresh dill heads ~or~ 4 tablespoons dried dill seed not weed!
- 2 tablespoons mixed pickling spices
Instructions
- Wash cucumbers but do not scrub them.
- Trim 1/8-inch from the blossom end of each cucumber and slice in half lengthwise or into quarters, depending on how large your cucumbers are and how big you want them to be when they’re done.
- In a gallon jar (or large, wide-mouth, food-safe container) layer the dill heads or seed, garlic cloves, pickling spices and sliced cucumbers.
- In a separate pitcher or bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients until the salt is dissolved.
- Pour the brine over the cucumbers, taking care to make sure all of them are fully submerged. If needed, place a plate or mug or other non-reactive heavy item on the cucumbers to weigh them down and keep them under the brine!
- Cover lightly with a lid just perched on top or secure a piece of cheesecloth over the jar with a rubber band to keep fruit flies away.
- Leave out of direct sunlight on the counter for two to four days*, or until the cucumbers taste like pickles throughout.
- Fix your lid onto your jar or container and chill. These can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months provided you keep them covered with brine.
- *If at any point in the proceedings “fuzz” or “foam” develops on top of the brine, use a spoon to remove it. If there is “fuzz” attached to any of the cucumbers, remove the ones affected and be sure the others are still fully submerged.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published July 22, 2011. Updated and reposted July 2017, August 2018, and July 2021.
Ted says
I prefer Clausen whole, small to medium size pickles. Should I choose to pickle these size whole pickling cucumbers, would I need to adjust any of the ingredients and/or times?
Rebecca says
Hi Ted- You may want to give them a longer rest in the refrigerator before crunching into them, but otherwise, I think the same ratios/times will apply! Please let me know how it works out if you give it a go!
Mattie says
I’m going to try this! I love my pickles!
One thing though, I’m not exactly bright in the food preparation area. What do you mean by ‘layer the dill heads or seed, garlic cloves, pickling spices and sliced cucumbers’
Does that mean all the dill heads on the bottom, then garlic cloves on top of that, then spices, with all the cucumbers going on top?
Can’t wait to try it. Thanks.
Rebecca says
Hi there, Mattie!!! So what that means is that you’d do a layer of dill heads or seeds, a layer of garlic, a layer of pickling spices, and follow with a layer of sliced cukes!!! That was a great question!
Davey says
I reviewed over a year ago but thought I would once again tell the world how good these pickles are. I have made at least 20 batches and they always come out great. Tangy, crunchy, delicious. I honestly have no idea how people complain about the recipe or end up with moldy or mushy pickles, but if that is the result it is definitely something you are doing wrong. It’s not the recipe. Clean everything well, trim the ends off the cukes, measure the salt accurately, make sure the cukes are fully submerged in the brine, and keep them out of the light (I cover my jars with a dishtowel). Thanks again for a recipe I will always use.
Rebecca says
Oh my goodness. Thank you so much for weighing in on this and letting us all know you love them, Davey!! It’s much appreciated!
Shannon says
Does anyone know why my brine is cloudy after 3 days? Are the pickles still safe to eat?
Rebecca says
It’s absolutely fine to eat, Shannon! Cloudy brine is fermented (read: flavourful) brine!
Arvil Foster says
Tried this recipe. The worst, nastiest I’ve ever tried.
Janet says
Made these pickles today, now to wait til we can eat them which will seem like long wait. My only issue is why does recipe have you make a gallon of brine when it ends up you only need half that amount. Yes, I did use a gallon jar too…. Just wondering…
Rebecca says
Hi Janet! People pack jars differently and different cucumbers take up space in a jar differently. Additionally, having extra brine on hand in case you need to top off the jar isn’t a bad thing. As it’s just salt water, I always figure it’s better to have too much of it than to have to mix up another batch. 🙂
Bria says
I just finished a batch of these amazing pickles. This time around, after 2 days on the counter, half of the jars are cloudy and half are clear. Any idea why they look so different from one another? Are the safe to eat?
Rebecca says
That’s absolutely fine, Bria. I’m betting the cloudy jars are going to be ore flavourful. Cloudy brine is the sign of fermented foods and that’s a good thing!! I might be tempted to leave the clear ones out a little longer. 🙂
Bria says
I just finished a batch and they have been sitting on my counter for 2 days. Today, half of my Jara are cloudy and half look normal. Any idea why this happened and do you know if the pickels are still good?
Dave B says
Just used the recipe on 3 gallons of pickles!! I cant wait to try them.. My only concern is that I somewhat feel that the pickling spices will make them somewhat sweet? So I did half with them and a gallon without them.. thanks for the recipe
Rebecca says
Hi Dave- The pickling spices themselves contain no sugar, but just add a little depth of flavour to the overall pickles. 🙂
Sarah says
Made these exactly as stated and they’re so salty I have to throw them out. No one I’ve given them to has been able to stomach the salt, its all you can taste. So disappointed, I did 16lbs of cucumbers 🙁 Should have only done one batch first but went off the reviews.
Rebecca says
Hi Sarah- Let’s see if we can trouble shoot what went wrong for you. What type of salt did you use? And did you dissolve it in the water then pour the brine over the cucumbers?
Davey says
I’m guessing an error in measurement. I’ve made at least 20 batches of these pickles, and everyone in my family raves about them. Never heard a complaint that they are too salty.
Rebecca says
Thanks so much for weighing in on this, Davey! Much appreciated!!
Nori says
I just love this recipe! I make many batches through out the summer! BEST DILL PICKLE RECIPE!!!
Rebecca says
Thanks so much, Nori!! I appreciate you taking the time to let me know you love it!
Kristi says
‘Just want to add this info –> I just made these (cut into sandwich slices 1/4″/6mm thick), and they filled EIGHT qt jars (2 full gallons), with a couple of cups of brine leftover.
(I’m a seasoned pickle-canning-veteran, but this is my first year trying out refrigerator pickles….so I am VERY excited –and very thankful– for this recipe, blog, and all the commenting posters).
Pickle ON!
Rebecca says
Thanks for adding that info, Kristi! Happy Pickling! 🙂
Barbara says
Has anyone use Lemon Cucumbers or Armenian Cucumbers?
Rebecca says
I haven’t personally used lemon or Armenian cucumbers for this recipe, Barbara. If you give it a go, please let me know how it turns out!
Dan Keller says
sounds good
Rebecca says
Thanks!
Catherine Sydney says
Perfect recipe. It really feels good to find an idea blog post such as this, nice articles.
Kali says
With an overproduction of garden cucumbers this summer, I was thrilled to find your recipe! On day 3, we took a peek and found clearish slime on the top of many pickles and 1 mold spot. After reading your “fuzz” advice, I removed all cucumbers with the slime, which had a small part not fully submerged. We tasted a pickle and it has a slight odd taste, almost slightly cinnamon in nature. Should we throw out the whole batch as it could be contaminated?
Rebecca says
Hi Kali- Did your pickling spices have cinnamon bark in them?
Kristi says
Can you use distilled vinegar?
Rebecca says
Hi Kristi- I haven’t personally tried that, but I think if you scan through the comments section here you will likely find other folks who have!
davey says
I’ve made a bunch of batches using plain clear distilled vinegar, and they come out great.