I have always been a Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle fan. Forever. I don’t like sweet pickles or bread and butter pickles, they just aren’t my thing. Claussen just tastes better, in my opinion, I don’t even like the shelf brand dill pickles. They are either too sweet or too tangy. That’s why I posted this Claussen pickle recipe several years ago.
Refrigerator pickles are a lot easier to make because they don’t require using the traditional canning process. That also means they can’t be stored on a shelf in the basement or in the pantry, they must live in the refrigerator.
Recipe for Claussen Pickles at Home
Last year I made some pickles with the canning method and the recipe that I used had a very high vinegar to water ratio. So they were far too vinegary for me to eat straight from the jar, which is one of my favorite things, though they were great on burgers and in potato salad!
So I started my search for a Claussen copycat. I found this one but it used apple cider vinegar. I as concerned that would create a sweet pickle, which I don’t like, even though the author of that recipe is just like me. Yuk to sweet pickles!
So I looked at the actual Claussen ingredient label and it said they used distilled white vinegar. Some of the ingredients were different too, so I decided to use the recipe that I found as a jumping off point and created my own version.
The verdict? Everyone in this house loves them! They aren’t exactly like Claussen, but pretty dang close! Close enough that they get devoured by everyone in this house.
They are actually fun for me to make. So while it would certainly be easier for me to grab a jar of Claussen from the grocery store, and I probably still will now and then, I love making my own.
My first batch was a bit cloudy, and they also had a distinctive mustard flavor. So I cut back the mustard seed in the second batch and I believe we now have a winner. :)
You’ll make the brine first, it’s easiest to do it in a 2-quart pitcher. You’ll see me mixing the brine in a bowl in the picture above. Don’t, it’s an extra step, just use a pitcher. Put the dill seed and dried garlic in the jars.
Now, make sure you give your pickling cucumbers a good rinse, make sure there’s no dirt. Trim the blossom end, I trim both ends, then cut in half lengthwise and distribute in your jars.
Before adding your brine, strain out the solids. Distribute the solids evenly among the two jars, then add brine. You will have leftover brine that can be discarded when you are all done.
When you perch the kid on your jars, you want air to be able to get in and gases to be able to escape.
I actually put my pickles in one big pot now and then move them to a large covered glass container in the fridge instead of using jars now. Someone in the comments asked for a picture of perching the lid, you can see that above.
This is what they will look like after a day or so. They usually take 2-4 days. My first batch took the full four days while my second batch was ready in two and a half days. I think the difference was that I actually used three jars and they weren’t packed as tightly.
Enjoy – crunch!
Troubleshooting your pickles
Scum or film on top – During your first few days, fermentation takes place. You will probably see bubbles rising to the surface and may see some “scum” forming on the surface. Skim this off and discard. This is a completely normal step in the fermentation process.
White sediment at the bottom of the jar – According to Colorado State University, “A white sediment at the bottom of the jar may be caused by anti-caking agents in the salt or by the fermenting bacteria. Neither cause is harmful.”
According to Colorado State University “…factors that lead to spoilage include failure to remove blossom ends, failure to thoroughly wash products to be pickled, not removing the scum that accumulates on curing brines, using a weak brine or vinegar solution, not keeping the pickles covered with brine throughout the curing process, using deteriorated ingredients such as moldy garlic or decayed spices, or storing the pickles at too warm a temperature.”
You can download the complete PDF document from The Colorado State University here.
Important Tips to Note
The Blossom End
The blossom end of the cucumber (the end opposite from the stem) contains an enzyme that can make your pickles turn mushy. Always cut it off, I cut off both ends for good measure and to keep them uniform.
Vinegar
Use vinegar that has at least 5% acidity. Don’t reduce the vinegar in this recipe.
Salt
Only use pickling salt or coarse (NOT flaky) Kosher salt, though I always use pickling salt. Table salt contains an anti-caking agent that causes the brine to get cloudy. If you use table salt, it’s still safe, but you will have a cloudy jar of pickles with white sediment at the bottom.
Cucumber Types
Use cucumbers that are of the knobby variety, grown specifically for pickling. Check seed catalogs to find the different varieties. Cucumbers with a wax coating are not recommended as the brine will not be able to penetrate them. When selecting cucumbers, be sure that they are firm and not soft.
Wash Your Hands!
It’s tempting to reach in and turn your cucumbers, but please make sure you wash your hands first. Introducing any foreign oil or material from your skin could cause problems with your brine.
When your pickles are all gone, do you pour the pickle juice down the drain? Instead, try these ideas for reusing pickle juice! Looking for a unique recipe to try with your freshly make pickles? Here’s a Grilled Tomato Relish that’s great on burgers and dogs!
This Claussen pickle recipe was originally published here on September 18, 2012
More Related Recipes
- Cucumber Salad
- Sweet Corn and Chickpea Salad
- Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad
- Pickled Beets
- Pickled Onions
Homemade Claussen Pickles Copycat
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 20-25 small to medium pickling cucumbers
- 2 quarts cold water
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ⅓ cup canning/pickling salt or coarse Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander seed
- ½ teaspoon mustard seed
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon dill seed
- ¼ teaspoon dried garlic
- Fine mesh colander
- 4- cup measuring cup
Instructions
- To make the brine, combine water and vinegar in a large pitcher. Add salt, coriander seed, mustard seed, red pepper flakes and black peppercorns. Stir until salt is dissolved. Set aside.
- Wash cucumbers in water and trim 1/8-inch off of the blossom end of each one. Slice each cucumber in half lengthwise.
- Divide the dill seed and dried garlic evenly between two clean quart sized jars. Fill jars with cucumber halves, fitting as many in as you can, they may be snug!
- Stir brine again to mix ingredients. Place a fine mesh colander over a large bowl or measuring cup. Pour brine through the colander, catching the brine solids in the colander. DO NOT discard!
- NOTE: You will not be able to fit all the water in this measuring cup or in the two jars. The goal here is to save the brine solids and use them, you will be discarding the left over vinegar and water mixture when finished.
- Once all the solids have been removed from the brine, distribute them evenly among the jars. Using the brine liquid in the measuring cup, pour into the jars until all the cucumbers are covered.
- Your brine level should cover your cucumbers and reach the bottom of the jar neck where the twisting begins. The cucumbers will also release some liquid as they brine, so don’t overfill the jar. Discard any remaining brine liquid.
- Cover lightly with a lid perched on top but DO NOT close and seal. Leave on the counter (out of direct sunlight) for 1 day, then move to the refrigerator for 2-3 more days, or until the cucumbers taste like pickles throughout.
- Secure lids on jars and refrigerate for up to six months.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Rachael says
Hey, I was wondering if throwing the pickles straight into the fridge after making them would be fine. Would that keep fuzz from forming? Since I have radishes ready, I sliced some up and threw them in with the pickles!
Amanda Formaro says
I’m sure they would be completely fine that way. I think refrigerating them slows the process is all, so it may take a few days longer for all the flavor to soak into the pickles :)
Alicia says
Hey! I make one very similar, but we bake them in the jars at a lower temperature! It seals them so you can leave them on the counter which frees up refriderated space (then I put only one jar at a time in the fridge so we can enjoy) , and it gives them the crunch too!
Mike Radtke says
We used to live only a few miles from the Claussen processing plant. We always have loved them. We made your recipe and love it! My wife says she really likes the mildness of them. Just finished another larger batch (11 pints). Just a note: we have a jar of Claussens in the fridge and did a taste test. Result: I think we need to adjust the dill on the upside. Another note: Claussen has been sold to a conglomerate and they now add ingredients that were not in the original recipe.
Thanks so much for putting this recipe on line!!!
P.S. I don’t like sweet pickles!
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Mike! I agree with your wife about the mildness. That’s why I was never partial to Vlassic, I always thought theirs had too much of something in it. Thanks for sharing, I’ll have to do a taste test for myself regarding the dill :)
Cindy says
I made these last week and they are awesome!!! I took the advice of one of the people that posted on here and did the cold bath before making them. I think it made a big difference. I had no issues with any “scum” forming on the tops and mine came out so crunchy!! I did use fresh garlic cloves, I think it tastes so much better. I also did most of mine as slices with my crinkle cutter. I did two jars as spears and they are both crunchy. I brought a jar into work and everyone loved them. I will be making a lot more pickles next year and give them out as gifts. Thank you for the recipe!!!
Amanda Formaro says
I’m so glad they came out and were delicious, thanks Cindy! And good to know about the cold water bath, thanks!
jim dennis says
Hi Amanda! Just finished my first batch. I did thick slices. They tasted great on night 3, with great crunch. Went to seal up and refrigerate the next morning, taste was GREAT, but pickles were mush then. So, I’m starting over…no big deal. My question is, what stops the “fermenting” process once the pickles are covered and refrigerated? The lack of the gas escaping? The lower temperature? I don’t want to do this again, close
them up at the right point this time, and have them continue to get more pickled and more mushy. Will the lids and the refrigerator halt the process? Thanks in advance to anyone for an answer to my question. Jim
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Jim! I’m sorry that happened :-( I have read other refrigerator pickle recipes where the jar is sealed immediately and refrigerated. I don’t have any cukes to experiment with at this point, but if you are willing maybe try one jar that way and the other jars seal up after two days? I have great success with my first two batches with these exact instructions (as in my blog post) but the third batch that I did this year turned mushy. I attributed it to the sunlight hitting them. I actually plan to try another batch and try different methods to see what works best. Sorry you had trouble!
Kris says
I so wish I had found this recipe sooner! I had one last pile of cukes to use up from our first ever garden and since some were larger I wanted to make them into hamburger dill chips. Thankfully, I found this recipe and it is amazing! I was already sampling them on day 2 and they were really good. I put all of them in one big 2 quart jar and I may finish the whole thing by myself! Thanks again–this is a keeper for someone who in no way likes sweet pickles, so even the mention of apple cider vinegar would turn me away (also I used fresh garlic and dill-excellent results).
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks for sharing Kris, so glad it was a success!
Brett says
I’ m very excited to make these pickles, but I’m sure I understand exactly what to do with the lids for the first 4 days can you please explain. Also has anybody tried tomatoes ?
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Brett! Just place the lid (not the band, the lid) on top, but leave a little area open so that the jar is not completely covered. You could probably leave the lid off completely and cover it with cheese cloth instead to keep dust and any fruit flies etc out.
Eric Carr says
Hi Amanda. I admit I’m a novice pickler. I do successfully make fresh pack pickles and tomatoes with
vegetables from my garden. This is my first attempt at cold pack pickling and making Claussen-style pickles.
I made 6 jars using cukes from my garden and within 4 weeks they had the consistency of a wet dish rag with a rotten smell. The lids were pushed upwards and the product became rather effervescent (sic?) when the bands were unscrewed.
Should I boil these before sealing? I think that would ruin the consistency of the Claussen-style pickle. I’ve religiously washed all jars and lids so I don’t know where the breach is – unless it’s with the vegetable, which I believe I’ve scrubbed clean (maybe not enough?). My next attempt will use Michigan pickling cukes from our local vegetable market.
Thanks and best regards,
Eric
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Eric. I’m sorry you had some trouble with these. I should say up front that I am not an expert in this area, I just followed the recipe and it worked for me. A couple of things that I do know can affect the results are:
sunlight – make sure your jars, during those first 2-4 days are in a darker area, not near sunlight
air circulation – also in those first 4 days, be sure that you keep the lids ajar.
blossoms – be sure that you slice off the blossoms at the end of the cukes
Colorado State University says:
“…factors that lead to spoilage include failure to remove blossom ends, failure to thoroughly wash products to be pickled, not removing the scum that accumulates on curing brines, using a weak brine or vinegar solution, not keeping the pickles covered with brine throughout the curing process, using deteriorated ingredients such as moldy garlic or decayed spices, or storing the pickles at too warm a temperature.”
and just for good measure, as it has been asked about here previously:
“A white sediment at the bottom of the jar may be caused by anticaking agents in the salt or by the fermenting bacteria. Neither cause is harmful.”
I hope this helps, I am going to add this information to the article.
Mrs_S says
Hi Amanda, Have U ever tried using zucchini instead of cucs? I found an old thyme recipe book for canning & it called for zucchini. They hold up much better than the cucs & they don’t get mushy. I don’t even use cucs anymore since I’ve tried them. I make bread & butters & dills all the time now. I usually cut out most of the seeds so they don’t get mushy either. Try it! I think U’ll like them.. Let me know what U think, K? Happy canning, Mrs_S
Amanda Formaro says
Interesting! I haven’t tried that, but they sound great!
Kit Siegel says
There is a product called ” Pickle Crisp” that you can add if you can the pickles that keeps them nicely crunchy. I’ve been playing with my own recipe trying to get the Claussen taste…had not tried using coriander, and I have a boatload from letting my cilantro go to seed! Can’t wait to see how that goes.
Amanda Formaro says
Great tip Kit, I’ll have to look for that!
Anna says
Hi,I did make these and I got fuzz all over them and had to toss 12 jars. :( No I am very wearing on doing refrigrator pickles again, am I able to can these kind?
Amanda Formaro says
I cannot say whether you can can this recipe. But, canning them will remove the crispness you get with refrigerator pickles. If you decide to try them again, be sure they are kept clear from sunlight, don’t cover the jar and make sure you cut the blossoms off.
Kim says
tried these but also saw the fuzzy white foam thought it was mold too so I tossed the whole batch… does it matter if you use a glass jar or is plastic ok too ?
Amanda Formaro says
I don’t know if glass vs. plastic is an issue, though I don’t think it is. I had a little white fuzz on mine to and just spooned it off. Be sure to keep them out of sunlight and make sure you remove the blossom end from the pickling cucumber. :)
Ken Haney says
Found your recipe, tried it and love it. In fact I just made up another batch today since grand daughter decided she loved them and wiped me out. I am attempting to make some pickled eggs with your recipe. I have for years used the claussen liquid when the pickles were gone to add boiled eggs, jalapeños, and onion wedges. I would leave them in the back of the fridge for about 6 weeks for them to completely pickle. Anyway I am trying your recipe for the brine. I didn’t do the on the counter thing since they are eggs and when straight to the fridge. Hope it works. I don’t see why it wouldn’t. Thank you for creating this recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
Don’t see why that wouldn’t work Ken! Hope they are good!
Deborah says
Have a silly question, have never tried to make anything like this, but my husband LOVES Claussen pickles and my neighbor just gave be a ton of cucumbers. Your recipe asks for dried garlic, is that garlic powder?? Or if I wanted to make with fresh garlic cloves, how many???? Thanks
Amanda Formaro says
Dried garlic is not the same as garlic powder. It’s basically minced garlic that has been dehydrated, you can find it in the spice and dried herb section at the grocery store. To substitute fresh garlic for the dried, use double the amount. So for 1/2 teaspoon of dried garlic, you would use 1 teaspoon fresh garlic.
Anna says
Hi, would you think it would be okay if I start alpickles and get the done and then add the coriander seed about 16 hours later? I need to pick some up from the store but would like to stay on my pickles.
Amanda Formaro says
HI Anna, sorry I didn’t reply sooner. This may be a moot point now, but just in case… I’m not sure how much of a difference it would make in the flavor, but I don’t think it would be detrimental if you added the coriander 16 hours later.
David says
I have a jar on my latest batch that turned cloudy as well. Not sure what to think of it.
Amanda Formaro says
Cloudy is okay, all mine turn a little cloudy. They clear up after a couple of days in the fridge. I believe it’s simply the ingredients melding, the dried garlic rehydrating, etc. I just checked mine that are in the fridge and the brine is now clear. :)
Kevin says
Really enjoy this recipe and the comments as well. For me, just as with much of my cooking, experimentation and adaptation is the real fun. We’ve made quite a few gallons of assorted typed of pickles. The wife prefers the bread and butter style and this year, in addition to the thin sliced ( on the mandolin) , we did thick cut chips and long thin sliced too.
My favorites have always been the ( refrigerated )half sours. With those, if you leave them out a little longer ,they will turn a little more sour.
Also we make garlic dills and a hot n spicy garlic.All you need to do is pump up the crushed red, ground red and/ or cayenne pepper to taste.
Sadly, the cucumber plants are slowing down now. We were lucky to have begun harvesting by the middle of June. Made over gallons of marinara sauce and tons of grilled squash. Darn July rains tho, brought a blight and wiped out the squash and zucchini. Tomatoes were already yielding nicely, but production slowed as the leaves got affected. natural fungicide helped, but the damage was done. Honeydews , bell peppers and onions still ripening up, but early samples were great.
TMI, I guess, but …grow your own….. fresh cucumber salad with tomatoes, yellow squash, basil and onions from your won garden?? Nothing compares! Happy pickling!
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds like you had similar gardening results as we did in southeast Wisconsin. Lots of late rain and plenty of early tomatoes! Thanks for sharing, it’s nice to hear the love of food and gardening in your “voice”. :)
Cindy says
Forgot to ask in my previous message……do any of yours get cloudy? Not a milky white cloudy, but just not as clear as others.
Is this ok or what could be causing this? Thanks so much
Amanda Formaro says
Yes, mine get a bit cloudy after a couple of days. once they are in the fridge for a day or two the brine clears up as the ingredients settle.
Cindy says
I have done 5 jars so far…….ranging from 2 – 3 days on counter. My family is pickle crazy from the young to the old. They are awesome other than we all think they need more garlic.Do you think using the chopped garlic in jars would result in more garlic flavor than using the dried??
I also tried a jar of sliced and they seem to be picking up the flavors faster. Thanks for an awesome recipe. It a keeper!
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Cindy! Yes, I think if you used the fresh or jarred garlic in the same measurement there would be more garlic flavor. You could certainly experiment too. Try making 3 jars, each with a different measurement. Put a piece of masking tape on each jar with the measurement written on it so you know which is which when it comes to the taste test ;)
Frank says
Can I use regular garden cukes? My little garden just yielded me 12 of the biggest cucumbers I have ever seen and I do not want them to go to waste.
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Frank, I personally would not as the results will not be the same. Pickling cucumbers are bred specifically for pickling. You could certainly try it as I know others have. If you do, would love to hear your results!
Heather says
I’m going to give this a try with burpee cukes from my garden simply because we’re harvesting more than we can eat or share each week! I’ll be sure to share my results after my first batch later this week!
Amanda Formaro says
Looking forward to hearing your results Heather!
Joan S Bauer says
how did they come out? I too, have a few enormous cukes and just did my 1st batch.
terry modzelewski says
Thanks for this recipe. I have made a dozen jars and everyone loves them. The only change is thst I used half a tbsp of fresh garlic and a tsp of fennel seed.. never a problem with mold. Four days and they are great. Thanks again.
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you liked them Terry! I’ll be making a few more jars before the season ends :)
terry modzelewski says
amanda, i made some more pickels,but a couple of jars have a white film on bottom of jar but the pickels seem fine. any input would be helpfull. Thanks. Terry
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Terry, some white on the bottom of my jars too and the pickles are fine. I’ve used them several times on burgers etc. Make sure when making them to keep them out of sunlight and be sure that you cut off the blossom end of the pickle before adding them to the brine.