Claussen pickles facts for kids
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Claussen kosher dill sandwich slices
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| Owner | Kraft Heinz |
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| Introduced | 1870 |
| Previous owners | C. F. Claussen & Sons |
Claussen is a popular American brand known for its tasty pickled cucumbers, often called pickles! These pickles are special because they are uncooked. You'll usually find them in the refrigerated section of grocery stores. This helps keep them extra crunchy.
Claussen pickles are famous for being super crunchy. In fact, a TV ad from 1992 showed Claussen pickles snapping when bent. Other brands just bent without snapping. Another pickle company, Vlasic Pickles, complained that the ad was unfair. But in the end, Claussen's claim about its crunchiness was found to be true!
Contents
The Story of Claussen Pickles
How Claussen Pickles Began
The company C. F. Claussen & Sons started in May 1870. It was founded by Claus Claussen Sr. in Chicago. Claus was a vegetable farmer. One year, he had too many cucumbers. So, he decided to pickle them! This is how Claussen pickles were born.
For a long time, the pickles were made on the same farm land in Chicago. This land is now part of the city. In 1976, the pickle plant moved to Woodstock, Illinois.
Family Business and New Owners
After Claus Claussen Sr., his son Claus S. Claussen took over the company. He was the president when he passed away in 1932. Later, William C. Claussen also served as president.
In 1970, a big food company called Oscar Mayer bought Claussen. Oscar Mayer then became part of General Foods in 1981. General Foods later joined with Kraft, Inc. in 1990. This created Kraft General Foods, which became Kraft Foods in 1995.
In 2015, Kraft Foods and Heinz decided to merge. This created the large food company we know today as Kraft Heinz. So, Claussen pickles are now part of Kraft Heinz!
Why Some Mergers Don't Happen
In 2002, a group that owned Vlasic Pickles wanted to buy Claussen too. However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stopped this plan. The FTC is a government group that makes sure companies play fair. They believed that if one company owned both Claussen and Vlasic, it would create a "monopoly." This means one company would have too much control over the refrigerated pickle market. It would not be fair for other companies or for customers.
Kinds of Claussen Pickles
Claussen makes many different kinds of pickles for you to enjoy:
- Kosher Dills (these come in whole pickles, halves, spears, mini dills, and sandwich slices)
- Deli Style Hearty Garlic (you can find these as sandwich slices and whole pickles)
- New York Deli Half Sours (these are whole pickles)
- Burger Slices (perfect for your burgers!)
- Hot & Spicy (these come as spears and chips)
Other Products from Claussen
Besides pickles, Claussen also used to make sauerkraut. They also made a sweet pickle relish. This relish even won a taste test challenge in the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper in 2008! However, Claussen stopped making its sweet pickle relish in 2021.
