WOW! I am by no means a Pro at pickles, but over the last few years have come up with a recipe I like. In my opinion a "Claussen" type pickle is just a crunchy or crisp garlic pickle. I think Claussen pickles are refrigerated because they are quick pickles and are not fully processed. As processing pickles requires HEAT and heat will cook the pickles. Now the amount of heat used would depend on how cooked they get. I found this out the hard way and 8 qts were super soft and were only saved by turning into relish as needed. I have never tried fermenting pickles and don't think I ever would it sounds like too much trouble. There are a couple ways to keep your pickles crisp - Pickle Crisp also grape leaves. I have never tried either. I keep mine crisp by using fresh "no more then 4 days old and immediately refrigerated after picking> and soaking in an ice water bath for between 2 and 4 hours prior to pickling. As far as the size and type of cucs to use I have found pickling type are best. Although I have used slicing but they do change the final product and are not as good. I like using large ones about 1 1/2 to 2 inch diameter. This recipe is named for my Son. Sometimes a miscalculation can lead to a success. Snakey Jake Pickles Yield about 8 quarts 30 to 40 pickling cucumbers BRINE 12 cups Water 6 cups white vinegar 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp Pickling salt "is also 10 Tbsp> 4 tsp dried minced onion "can use 1/3 cup fresh> 2 Tbsp Processed minced Garlic (store bought jarred) "this is equal to 12 cloves of fresh" 1 Tbsp Mustard seed 2 Tbsp Dill seed 4 tsp sugar Jars 1/4 tsp pepper flakes 3-4 Whole All Spice 5-8 Whole Peppercorns 2-3 Cloves Fresh Garlic rough cut "depends on size 2 Lg or 3 Sm/Med> Brine: Bring liquid to boil, while waiting for boil combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. When boiling add ingredients stir to dissolve salt, return to boil. Keep hot! Jars: Prepare jars for ingredients by sterilizing in boiling water for 10 minutes. Fill sterile jars with dry and fresh ingredients, pack with cut cucumbers. Ladle boiling/hot brine into jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Let cool completely and refrigerate. Or you can process in a boiling water bath for 10 min. When completely cool store on shelf. Notes: Prep cucumbers by slicing into spears or 1/4 inch chips and place into a bowl of ice water for 2 to 4 hours prior to brine or jar preparation. This helps keep them crispy. You can eat these pickles as soon as they are cool, about a couple hours. Although best if you leave them for a couple weeks. IMPORTANT KEEP BOILING WATER BATH BOILING so it is ready for processing. If you put your jars in a cool bath and bring it to boil they will cook. 10 min of a rolling boil so don't start timing til water is boiling. For more info on a BWB refer to ball blue book or the USDA website. Also left over brine can be kept in the fridge for a few days if necessary. Enjoy! Orbdweller

Hey breasley - can you give us a link to the source of this recipe? I'd like to do some background checking on it with the author before I'd try it. Thanks. Dave

There are a lot of collectors out there and a few museums. Linked below is one of them - wish there was contact info, but I just loved the pictures. Also there are forums for collectibles if you do a Web search. That might help you find someone to talk with. Here is a link that might be useful: Mason's Jar Collection

They're great for pasta and/or bean storage and have a really neat nostalgic look about them that you just can't get from other ordinary "modern" containers. Plus, they're great for making and aging fruit flavored liquers and flavored vinegars since they have measurement marks on them. They take up less square footage than bowls of the same quantity because they're vertical. They have lids that fit, bowls usually don't. They're glass, which is usually safer than plastic, if you care about that aspect. I made a bunch of pickled beets in one a couple years ago that I didn't want to can. They went in the fridge. Less shelf space than two quarts or 4 pints. Last year's hot pepper haul went in one after they were dried. I can see them and won't lose or forget about them. Older standard mouth jars make great decanters. Lots of interesting shapes in the older styles. So they're fun to just look at.