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 well-known American brand that makes delicious pickled cucumbers. Its main office is in Woodstock, Illinois, which is a town near Chicago. Unlike many other pickles you might find, Claussen pickles are not cooked. This is why you usually find them in the refrigerated section of grocery stores. People often say Claussen pickles are extra crunchy!
Claussen is famous for how crunchy its pickles are. In a TV ad from 1992, they showed their pickles making a clear snapping sound when broken. Other pickle brands in the ad just bent without breaking. Another company, Vlasic Foods Inc., complained that this ad was unfair. But in the end, an advertising group agreed that Claussen's claims were true.
Contents
The Story of Claussen Pickles
How Claussen Pickles Started
The company C. F. Claussen & Sons began in Chicago in May 1870. It was started by Claus Claussen Sr. He was a vegetable farmer. One year, he had too many cucumbers. So, he decided to pickle them to save them. This is how Claussen pickles were born!
The pickles were made on the same land in Chicago until 1976. Then, the factory moved to Woodstock, Illinois.
Family Leadership and New Owners
Claus Claussen Sr. was followed by his son, Claus S. Claussen. He was the company president when he passed away in 1932. William C. Claussen, another family member, also served as president.
In 1970, the company was sold to Oscar Mayer. Later, Oscar Mayer became part of General Foods in 1981. General Foods then joined with Kraft, Inc. in 1990. This new company was called Kraft General Foods. In 1995, it became Kraft Foods. In 2015, Kraft Foods and Heinz joined together. Now, the company is known as Kraft Heinz.
Protecting the Pickle Market
In 2002, the group that owned Vlasic Pickles wanted to buy Claussen too. But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stopped this from happening. The FTC is a government group that makes sure businesses compete fairly. They said that if Vlasic bought Claussen, it would create a "monopoly." This means one company would control almost all the refrigerated pickles. This would not be fair for other businesses or for customers.
Kinds of Claussen Pickles
Claussen makes many different kinds of pickles. Here are some of them:
- Kosher Dills (you can find them whole, cut in halves, as spears, mini dills, or sandwich slices)
- Deli Style Hearty Garlic (these come 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 for a kick!)
Other Products from Claussen
Claussen also used to make sauerkraut and a sweet pickle relish. Their sweet pickle relish even won a taste test in the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper in 2008. However, Claussen stopped making its sweet pickle relish in 2021.
More recently, Claussen has teamed up with other companies for fun new products. In 2023, they worked with Spritz Society to create a pickle-flavored sparkling wine cocktail. And in 2024, they partnered with Frankford Candy & Chocolate Company to release Claussen Pickle flavored jelly beans!
