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Copycat Claussen Dill Pickles

This copycat Claussen pickle recipe is a simple refrigerator pickle recipe that will rival your favorite deli pickle! Once you learn how to make Claussen pickles, you won’t ever go without!

Copycat Claussen Dill Pickles 1

 

WHAT’S NEW?

At Shea’s little daycare, she is one of several babies that are all born within a week of one another. There’s only 8 or 9 babies all together, but 4 of them were born just days apart. Needless to say, she’s enjoying daycare and she has lots of friends who are learning and enjoying right along with her. Well, sort of. At least 2 of them are walking and we’re just a few short weeks into our crawling efforts 😉

Anyway, I digress.

I’m always interested in seeing 1. what Shea’s friends eat at daycare and 2. what Shea actually eats at daycare.

For me, she won’t eat peas or sweet potatoes…but she will at daycare.

She at least *tried* blueberries today at daycare, but for me, she practically spit them in my face the second they touched her tongue.

She eats quite well, it seems…whatever I send her with. Today was marinaded chicken, peas, sweet potatoes, cucumber, avocado, and blueberries. Quite the smorgasbord. I even created her own hashtag on Instagram to share what she’s eating. #whatsheaate

I know it’s too early to tell, but Shea is showing a preference for savory and salty over sweet. I’m basing this on the fact that she loves meat, seafood, gumbo, and mashed potatoes but seems pretty iffy on most fruits. Nevertheless, I’m sending everything her way to try. Whatever we’re eating, she’s eating.

Tonight, we were sampling Easy Garlic Dill Pickles (yum!) and comparing them to these Copycat Claussen Dill Pickles. Shea was eyeing the pickles and so I set one on her tray and she proceeded to suck on the pickle for the next 15 minutes. Ha!

That said, the verdict is still out on which pickle recipe takes first place. They’re both absolutely delicious!

ROLL CALL FOR THIS RECIPE

  • Garlic Lovers: There is NO shortage of garlic in these crisp refrigerator pickles! Let’s be honest, garlic is what makes a GOOD pickle recipe!
  • Pickle Fans: Is there anything better than a kosher dill pickle? This go-to dill pickle recipe for Claussen pickles is a must-make fan favorite!
  • Kid-Friendly: The perfect side or snack, this homemade Claussen pickle recipe will become a staple in your home.

Copycat Claussen Dill Pickles 2

KEY INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

  • Cucumbers: Pickling cucumbers are smaller and denser so they hold up well in pickling. However, you can use regular cucumbers or greenhouse, also known as English cucumbers.
  • Dill: Fresh dill is a MUST for dill pickles. There’s simply no good substitute here!
  • Garlic: This recipe calls for a LOT of garlic, yes! Fresh garlic cloves are best and slicing them helps release all the flavor into the brine. You can use more or less garlic if preferred!
  • Onion: This ingredient can be left out.
  • Mustard Seeds: Corainder seeds can be used as a substitute, however it is not ideal.
  • Vinegar: White vinegar can be used in place of apple cider vinegar in a pinch!
  • Canning Salt: Kosher salt is a perfect substitute for canning salt.

VARIATIONS, STORAGE, and TIPS

  • Be sure to fill the jars to the top of the jar!
  • Quart jar stock is commonly found in most major retailers or online. The leftover or unused pickle jars make for great food storage or can double as a beautiful flower vase!
  • The leftover pickle juice (pickle brine mixture) makes for a great addition to bloody marys!
  • You can tweak your brine flavors by adding whole peppercorns, coriander seeds, or crushed red peppper flakes to make a hot dill pickle! Start with a little bit and taste before you pour brine into the jars.

Copycat Claussen Dill Pickles 3

FAQ 

Why are the pickles left out at room temperature before refrigeration?

Pickling occcurs more quickly at room temperature versus refrigeration.

How long will these pickles stay good for in the fridge?

I recommend consuming within 3 months – a long time! Longer than they’ll last, that’s for sure!

How can I ensure crisp, crunchy pickles? 

Be sure to cut off the blossom end of the cucumber which contains an enzyme that can cause accelerated tenderization of the cucumbers. Additionally, be sure the water ratio follows the recipe. A brine that is inadequate in salt or vinegar will prevent the pickles from keeping crisp and can make for potentially unsafe food consumption.

Can cucumbers be left whole versus sliced or cut into spears?

Yes, however you will want to double or triple the length of time in the brine before consumption. If you prefer a heartier cut, try cucumber halves, cutting the pickles length-wise versus leaving whole

NUTRITIONAL MERITS

  • Mustard seeds are high in antioxidants
  • Homemade pickles are a fun, kid-friendly way to eat cucumbers!

Copycat Claussen Dill Pickles 4

Copycat Claussen Dill Pickles

Copycat Claussen Dill Pickles

Yield: 6 quarts of pickles
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

This copycat Claussen pickle recipe is a simple refrigerator pickle recipe that will rival your favorite deli pickle! 

Ingredients

  • 10 pickling cucumbers, sliced or cut into spears
  • 12+ sprigs fresh dill
  • 10 garlic cloves, cut into slivers and divided
  • 1/2 cup minced onion
  • 2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 9 cups water
  • 3 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup canning salt

Instructions

    1. Add cucumbers, dill, and half of the garlic slivers among 6 quart-sized mason jars.
    2. In a pot, bring remaining garlic slivers, minced onion, mustard seeds, water, vinegar, and salt to a boil, boiling until salt fully dissolves; allow to cool.
    3. Pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers and let jars sit on the counter for three days, shaking or turning them occasionally.
    4. Transfer jars to the refrigerator and refrigerate for 3-4 months.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Flavorite

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

 Love cucumbers all kinds of ways? Us, too!

Be well,

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7 Comments

  1. Melissa
    August 20, 2015 / 11:02 am

    Yum! I’m definitely going to make these! We love pickles.

    • Tom
      February 2, 2020 / 10:04 am

      You won’t be disappointed. I’ve been using this recipe for years.

  2. Biz
    August 20, 2015 / 3:15 pm

    I loves me some pickles! When Hannah was little we took the same way home from daycare. Every.single.day. And every single day we would pass by McDonald’s and she’d ask for a happy meal. Nope! But I would say “how about a Mommy Happy Meal?” Yes!

    All I would do was wrap up whatever I was making for dinner and then put it in a white lunch bag that she had previously decorated with stickers and stuck a small $1 store prize in. She could literally see that there were pork chops and mashed potatoes on the table, but she’d pull everything out of her bag and announce “I have a pork chop! I have mashed potatoes!” So cute.

  3. Billy
    September 26, 2017 / 2:37 pm

    These look delicious! Do you know of an easy way to keep pickles crisp / crunchy during the pickling process? I have had a few batches that end up a bit less crunchy than i’d like, but I’m hoping to find some easy solutions to this. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!

    • Gbebeau
      July 24, 2018 / 4:15 pm

      If you let the brine cool before pouring over the cucumbers it helps keep them crisper, as well as refridgerating them instead of shelving.

  4. Pingback: The #BlogHealthy Community Delivers 15 #PickleRecipes Perfect for #NationalPickleDay [November 14!]
  5. manny
    December 4, 2019 / 2:16 pm

    When is the earliest I need to wait before Its good to eat?

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