Claussen is an American brand of
pickled cucumber
A pickled cucumber (commonly known as a pickle in the United States and Canada and a gherkin in Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand) is a usually small or miniature cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, vinegar ...
s that is headquartered in
Woodstock, Illinois
Woodstock is a city in (and the county seat of) McHenry County, Illinois, United States. It is located 45 miles northwest of Chicago, making it one of the city's outer-most suburbs. Per the 2020 census, the population was 25,630. The city's hist ...
, an
exurb
An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing density, and growth. It sh ...
of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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. Unlike many other brands, Claussen pickles are uncooked
and are typically located in the
refrigerated
The term refrigeration refers to the process of removing heat from an enclosed space or substance for the purpose of lowering the temperature.International Dictionary of Refrigeration, http://dictionary.iifiir.org/search.phpASHRAE Terminology, ht ...
section of grocery stores.
Claussen is advertised as having superior crunchiness to other brands. In a 1992 television advertisement, Claussen pickles were shown to snap under pressure, whereas unidentified competing brands merely bent without snapping. In response, Vlasic Pickles, Vlasic Foods Inc. submitted a complaint to an advertising industry tribunal, claiming that the commercial was unfair and misleading.
Ultimately, however, the claims of Claussen were upheld by the tribunal.
History
The company C. F. Claussen & Sons was founded by Claus Claussen Sr. in Chicago in May 1870. Claussen was a vegetable farmer on land that today is in the
Chicago
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city limits at 51st and South Western Blvd. He had a surplus crop of cucumbers one year, and so he decided to pickle them. Claussen pickles were produced on the same piece of land until 1976 when the plant moved to Woodstock, Illinois.
Claus Claussen Sr. was succeeded by his son Claus S. Claussen, who was serving as president of the company when he died following an automobile accident on December 20, 1932. William C. Claussen (b. 1890) served as president of the Claussen Pickle Company as well.
The company was sold to Oscar Mayer in 1970. Oscar Mayer was later acquired by General Foods in 1981, who in turn merged with Kraft, Inc. in 1990 to form Kraft General Foods, renamed Kraft Foods in 1995. In 2015, Kraft Foods and Heinz agreed to a merger, and Kraft Foods became known as Kraft Heinz.
In 2002, the investment group that owned Vlasic Pickles sought to acquire the Claussen brand as well. The Federal Trade Commission blocked the proposed merger on the grounds that it would have severe anticompetitive effects, leading to a monopoly in the refrigerated-pickle market.
Varieties
Claussen pickles come in several varieties:
* Kosher Dills (whole, halves, spears, mini dills, and sandwich slices)
* Delicatessen, Deli Style Hearty Garlic (sandwich slices and wholes)
* New York City, New York Deli Half-sour dill, Half Sours (wholes)
* Hamburger, Burger Slices
* Hot & Spicy (spears and chips)
Other products
Additionally, Claussen manufactures sauerkraut and a sweet pickle relish that won the ''San Francisco Chronicle''s June 18, 2008, Taster's Choice challenge.
References
External links
*
{{portal bar, Food
Kraft Foods brands
Woodstock, Illinois
Companies based in McHenry County, Illinois
Pickles