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
Rate RecipeIngredients
- 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
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
did you make this recipe?
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Originally published July 22, 2011. Updated and reposted July 2017, August 2018, and July 2021.
Reader's Thoughts...
Pickler says
I love salty……in fact I’m known for too much,but this was too much even for me.
You probably want to cut back on the salt.
Rebecca says
Hi Pickler- Can I ask what brand/type of salt you used? It may be that caused your issue. 🙂 I make mine exclusively with Morton’s Kosher Salt. Also, another issue several folks have run into is when they mix the brine in and among the cucumbers instead of mixing the brine with the water separately as directed and only pouring in as much brine as is needed to submerge the cucumbers.
MeggaZappin says
Perfect write-up and great recipe! I made a separate batch with some sunburst squash and they turned out really nice too!
Rebecca says
Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, MeggaZappin 🙂 I love the idea of squash pickles, too!
Jim says
As of April 2022 I found out that Claussen Pickles are NO LONGER AVAILABLE!!! The Company has discontinued them.
Rebecca says
Hi Jim- I know Claussen has had some shortage issues these past couple of years, but it’s due mainly to the lack of jars needed more than anything else. And they’re definitely not discontinued- just tougher to find! At any rate, whatever the reason you can’t find them on the shelves, there’s no reason to go without! Just make some!
Aunt J says
Another tip: NEVER discard this brine, even after you eat all the pickles. If you like pickled eggs, throw some peeled, hard cooked eggs in this brine and let them pickle in the back of your fridge for a month or so. Include some when brining chicken or when preparing a vinaigrette. It will take pasta salad, three bean salad, cole slaw, etc. up a notch. It could even be popular addition to a Bloody Mary. If you are inclined to add a dash of vinegar to a bowl of hearty of ham and beans, try this instead. After hanging out with the garlic and spices for several months, this brine is an invaluable ingredient. In addition to being a Gatorade substitute.
Rebecca says
Thanks so much for taking the time to let everyone know these awesome uses for the brine, Aunt J!!!!
Aunt J says
Our family loves these pickles. Because we like spicy pickles, I added a quartered jalapeno to each pint. That was such a popular variation, I decided to try pickling jalapenos in this brine and kickles were born. I sliced a big harvest of jalapenos with my mandoline and followed this brine recipe. Kickles are now a favorite condiment on grilled chicken, burgers, peanut butter stuffed celery, scrambled eggs, bagles with cream cheese and even sliced fresh apples for a surprising sweet and salty treat. Yippee for this recipe.
Rebecca says
Hey Aunt J!! Thanks so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it! And thank you for the super fun riff on the recipe! I’ll have to give that a go this year!
Beth says
Hi! I’m anxious to try this recipe out. One question though… is RAW cider vinegar the same as RAW APPLE cider vinegar??? I can’t find raw cider vinegar anywhere. Please advise. Thanks!!
Rebecca says
Hi Beth- It sure is the same thing! It’s funny how many different names a vinegar can have, isn’t it?
Rochelle Diaz says
Hi! Is there a brand of pickling spices you use or recommend?
Rebecca says
Hi Rochelle- I’m not really brand loyal to pickling spices. I’ve used McCormick and bulk pickling spice both, and been quite happy with it. 🙂 If you buy McCormick, it’s likely to be replaced more often at the store, though, which is good for freshness!