Cajun Pickled Shrimp — Small Batch, Made to Order | CajunInABox by Big Mamou Enterprises

Saturday afternoons on Bayou Self, somebody always had a jar of pickled shrimp on the table. No occasion needed. No fancy plating. Just a cold jar, some crackers, and whoever happened to be sitting on the porch. The shrimp were always tender, always bright with lemon, always carrying that slow heat that built up the longer they sat in the brine. I've been chasing that jar my whole life. This is as close as I've gotten.

— Melanie Self Gotreau, Bayou Self, Louisiana

Cajun Pickled Shrimp — Small Batch, Made to Order

CajunInABox by Big Mamou Enterprises | Small Batch | Made Fresh | Southwest Louisiana

In old Cadien country, pickled shrimp wasn't just a snack — it was a tradition. Every family had its own recipe, its own jar, its own story. Today, most folks sell you a single quart jar that sat on a shelf, packed in dry ice, and shipped across the country for $20–28 in freight. By the time it reaches your door, you've paid $50–70 for something that was made weeks ago.

That's not how we do it.

At CajunInABox, we make our pickled shrimp fresh, to order, in small batches — the real way it was always done in the bayou kitchens of Southwest Louisiana. You get the flavor, the tradition, and the story — without the inflated shipping bill.

The Recipe — What Goes Into Every Batch

Our Cajun pickled shrimp is built on a champagne vinegar and fresh lemon brine — bright, clean, and deeply aromatic. Every batch starts with:

• 3 lbs wild-caught Gulf shrimp — fresh, never frozen when possible
• 2 onions — sliced thin, layered through the jar
• 6 garlic cloves — whole, for slow infusion
• 4 fresh lemons — juice and zest, freshly squeezed
• 12 bay leaves — the backbone of the Cadien brine
• 1 tsp mustard seed — sharp, pungent, classic pickling spice
• 1 tsp celery seed — earthy and aromatic
• 1 tsp coriander seed — citrusy and warm
• 1 tsp fennel seed — subtle anise note, distinctly Southern
• 4 dried chile peppers — slow heat that builds in the brine
• 1 tsp freshly ground white pepper — clean, sharp heat
• 1½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup virgin olive oil — rich, silky brine base
• ½ cup champagne vinegar — bright acidity, far superior to white vinegar
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice — never bottled, always fresh

Each batch yields approximately 1½ to 2 quarts of finished pickled shrimp — packed tight with shrimp, aromatics, and brine. Rich. Layered. Unmistakably Cajun.

Why Small Batch Beats the Quart Jar Every Time

You've seen them — the heavily advertised quart jars of pickled shrimp online. Beautiful labels. Big price tags. And then the shipping: $18–28 to get a single jar to your door, refrigerated or packed in dry ice. Total cost to you: $50–70 for one quart of something made weeks ago in a commercial kitchen.

Here's what you get with CajunInABox small-batch pickled shrimp instead:

• Made fresh to order — not sitting on a shelf or in a warehouse
• Wild-caught Gulf shrimp — sourced from Louisiana waters when available
• Champagne vinegar brine — not the cheap white vinegar most commercial brands use
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice — never bottled concentrate
• Customizable to your taste — heat level, spice profile, citrus intensity, brine strength
• No expensive shipping — local pickup or contact us for delivery options
• A real story behind every jar — made by the women of Big Mamou Enterprises, rooted in Cadien tradition

What Are Cajun Pickled Shrimp?

Cajun pickled shrimp (known in Cadien French as chevrettes marinées) are a traditional Southwest Louisiana appetizer — Gulf shrimp marinated in a spiced vinegar and oil brine with aromatics, citrus, and Cajun seasonings. Unlike vinegar-heavy commercial pickles, authentic Cajun pickled shrimp use an oil-forward brine that keeps the shrimp tender, silky, and deeply flavored. They are served cold, straight from the jar, as a standalone appetizer or alongside crackers, bread, or a cold sausage board.

A Return to the Old Cadien Appetizers

Before the big companies took over, Cajun families put up their own jars every season:

• Pickled shrimp (chevrettes marinées)
• Pickled crab claws (pinces de crabe marinées)
• Pickled okra (gombo mariné)
• Pickled sausage (saucisse marinée)
• Pickled quail eggs (œufs de caille marinés)
• Pickled pork tidbits (ti-morceaux de cochon marinés)

CajunInABox honors that lineage — one small batch at a time. Not just a jar. A story you can taste.

CajunInABox is the food and heritage brand of Big Mamou Enterprises, based in Southwest Louisiana. More authentic Cajun food, small-batch heritage appetizers, and bayou kitchen traditions at realtimecajun.com.