Claussen-style Garlic & Dill Knockoff Pickles

[smoker pete]

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 

After Spuds posted his pickle recipe it got me to thinking so 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 !!!

[muebe]

Thanks for posting the detailed instructions and bookmarked!

[spuds]

I already know the answer.They SHOULD turn out excellent.

You are so correct,crispness will be so much better with fermentation.Up until 1940 or so?,fermentation was the way it all was done,and going away from it was a loss IMO,but other methods were faster,and therefore cheaper after that.Plus loaded with live probiotics,got to love that too.

Some tips,if you have a grape leaf,put one washed per jar for crispness,r/t tannins I believe?Also cutting off the blossom end for some reason also helps keep em crisp.And a piece of cabbage leaf also good for getting the lacto fermentation going.Keeping temps room temp comfortable with ideal product temp is 72F max during process,try for sure to keep below 80F.But out of range will work,just affects time mostly IIRC,Use filtered water.

But none of that is a deal killer,if your pickles arent excellent I'll be shocked.Thanks for posting that.If I see pickling cucumbers in store I will get some and do your recipe.

Ive never done it with vinegar before,await your results.

.You got a great price on those cukes.

Enjoy and thanks Pete.MUST make those again,they are sooooo good,yours look great!YUMM YUMM YUM!!Absolutely BEAUTIFUL group!

Oh,and Ive planted 4 different types of pickling cukes this year looking for a powdery mildew resistant version that will work here.Ive given up on fussy veggies,but still want those pickling cukes so trying again this year.Have Calypso,Dasher,hybrid Bush and one I forget from nursery.

[sliding_billy]

Great post.  Thanks.

[Las Vegan Cajun]

Yum, that's a whole lot of jars of good looking pickles. 

[drholly]

Pete,

Thank you for the great recipe and excellent instructions. I like Claussen's too - so this is definitely on the short list. Will head to the Farmer's market this week to find some pickling cucumbers.

Now I need to find a recipe for horseradish pickles - I had one, but lost it...

Thanks for sharing this!

[Smokin Don]

Thanks for the recipe SP!!! The wife and I have been Claussen fans for years!!! Don

[HighOnSmoke]

Yes, thanks for posting this! Bookmarked!

[CDN Smoker]

Another Claussen fan here, bookmarked and thanks for posting

[ACW3]

Bookmarked!!  Ever since my DIL made a batch of homemade pickles to enter in the NC State Fair I decided that I would like to try some myself.  I made up some refrigerator pickles while my wife was recuperating from her knee surgery earlier in the year.  They turned out great.  I am thoroughly hooked on homemade pickles.  Thanks for posting.

Art

[spuds]

Pete,have you tasted yet?Are they a winner?

 Just got a pile of persian cukes for .99/lb,still cold from the box beauties...bought all they had,2 plastic produce bags worth.Need to make em thursday.Funny,Im scooping em up,some guy comes over and looks at em,wondering what I saw so special about em I reckon.

My neighbor has one recipe from a 1950's mason jar recipe book I will try too if she can find it.

[smoker pete]

Pete,have you tasted yet?Are they a winner?

I have Spuds and they are simply YUMMMMMMY!!! ... Nice and crunchy with a little bite to them from the crushed red peppers.

Took a bunch of the jars to my Son's house cause he has a fridge in the garage I can use for storage.  We cracked a jar for a taste test ... My Son said he couldn't guarantee that the pickles would not be gobbled up.     

[spuds]

Excellent!

Just put ours up,1 gallon jar,3 half gallons.Did halves,some spears and slices.Took one hour,thats sure reasonable.

Took 4 of the brine recipes with a bit left over. We added 2 fresh leaves from grapes to each jar.

I'll do my pictorial later.

Thanks Pete,needed a good recipe,this really looks good.

[SmokinKat]

I'm excited to try some of these type!  I did my first attempts at canning last year, and they turned out pretty darn good for a first time.  Will be nice to have some alternate versions to try this time around!   

We are super lucky to have an incredible farm stand a little ways out of town that has just beau-coup goodies.  Hopefully should be opening here soon for the season.  We got just BUCKETS of pickling cukes last year.   

[sparky]

i'll bring the FT.  i'm thinking picnic.......