One of the great beauties of pickling is that it doesn’t require a lot of fancy equipment. Stainless steel and glass are ideal for pickling projects. Aluminum, enamel, and iron pots or tools aren’t recommended because of brine’s natural acidity; when the acid reacts with those bases it changes the flavor of the resulting food items. The following list includes some of the items you’ll want for pickling:

• Paring knife

• Vegetable peeler

• Stone jar or crockery for fermenting (Note: You will need a plate or other cover that fits inside your fermenting jar. This holds the pickles beneath the brine. Kitchen plates work well.)

• Large bowl, plastic zip lock bag, or plastic food container (These may substitute for the stone jar or crockery as a fermenting vessel.)

• Pots large enough for simmering the brine and spices

• Ladle

• Funnel

• Measuring tools

• Storage jars or containers

• Hot water canner (if you’re planning to put up the pickles)

Finally, a timer is a nice addition to any preserver’s kitchen, but it’s not required.