Everything You Need to Can & Pickle Your Garden Haul

When the garden hits its stride, everything seems to ripen at once.

Tomatoes pile up on the counter, cucumbers practically ask to be pickled and fresh herbs need constant trimming. Canning and pickling turn that happy abundance into jars filled with flavor you can enjoy long after the season fades.

Preserving food doesn’t have to feel technical or intimidating. At its core, it’s simply a natural extension of home cooking, made easier with the right tools and a few trusted methods. With the proper supplies on hand, canning and preserving jams, pickles, sauces and more becomes a satisfying kitchen ritual—one that captures the best of the season, one jar at a time.

Here’s everything you need to can, pickle and preserve your garden haul with confidence.

With the right tools, you can enjoy that spring harvest all year round.
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What Is Canning? What Is Pickling?

Both canning and pickling are ways to preserve fresh food—but they work a little differently.

Pickling: If you’ve ever wondered what pickling is, it’s the process of preserving food by soaking it in an acidic liquid, most often vinegar. The acidity slows spoilage while adding bright, tangy flavor. Some pickled foods are stored in the refrigerator for short-term use, while others are heat-processed for longer, shelf-stable storage.

Canning: Canning is a method of sealing food in jars and processing it with heat to make it shelf-stable. For high-acid foods like jams, fruits and many pickled vegetables, this usually means water-bath canning—submerging filled jars in boiling water to create an airtight seal.

Together, these methods form the foundation of modern canning and preserving, helping home cooks store seasonal food safely and deliciously. Quick pickles for everyday meals and shelf-stable jars to enjoy long after the harvest is over.

No matter which path you take, the process follows the same rhythm: prep, fill, seal, store. And having the right home canning supplies and pickling tools makes every step smoother.

The Essential Tools for Canning & Pickling

A well-stocked preserving setup doesn’t need to be complicated—it just needs to be thoughtful. The right canning and pickling tools help you work cleanly, seal jars properly and move through each step with confidence. Think of these home canning supplies as the foundation of any cozy, productive canning day.

• Norpro Stainless Steel Mini Funnels, Set of 3
  Small but indispensable, these funnels keep jar filling tidy and precise—no sticky rims, no wasted brine. They’re especially handy for jams, sauces, and finely chopped relishes.
• Dexas Collapsible & Expandable Funnel
  Flexible and space-saving, this adjustable funnel works with a range of jar sizes and folds flat when the work is done—ideal for kitchens where storage matters.
• Sur La Table Silicone Jar Openers, Set of 2
  A proper seal is the goal but opening that seal later shouldn’t be a struggle. These grippy openers make quick work of even the most stubborn lids.
• Sur La Table Signature Stainless Steel Stockpot, 16 qt.
  The heart of home canning. A spacious stockpot is essential for water-bath processing, where filled jars are submerged in boiling water to safely seal and preserve their contents.
• OXO Steel Can Opener
  Not strictly a canning tool but an incredibly useful one. From opening canned tomatoes for chutney to prepping ingredients for brine, it earns its place in the lineup.

Good to know: You’ll need proper canning jars

If you plan to make shelf-stable preserves, use jars specifically designed for canning with two-piece lids that create an airtight seal during processing. These heat-safe jars are essential for water-bath canning and safe long-term storage.

(For quick refrigerator pickles, any clean glass jar with a tight lid will work—no heat processing required.)

Why water-bath canning is a great place to start

Most home preservers begin with water-bath canning because it’s simple, reliable and ideal for high-acid foods like pickles, jams, and many fruits. With a large stockpot and the right jars, you can safely preserve seasonal flavor and enjoy it long after harvest.

Fruit & Vegetable Prep Tools You’ll Reach for All Season

When you’re preserving a garden haul, prep work quickly becomes the biggest part of the job. Peeling a few carrots is one thing—peeling ten pounds is another. The right tools turn large-batch prep from tedious to efficient, helping you move smoothly from harvest to jar without slowing your momentum.

These are the tools that really earn their place when you’re working in bushels, not just weeknight portions:

• OXO Steel Swivel Peeler
  Sharp, smooth and comfortable to use for extended stretches, this peeler makes quick work of apples, cucumbers, carrots and more. When you’re prepping pounds of produce, efficiency—and a comfortable grip—matter.
• Sur La Table Stainless Steel Mandoline
  Uniform slicing is key for even pickling and consistent texture. A mandoline delivers thin, precise cuts in seconds—perfect for cucumbers, onions, radishes and other vegetables destined for brine.
• OXO Good Grips Quick Release Multi-Cherry Pitter
  Designed for serious volume, this tool pits multiple cherries at once, making jam, preserves and pie fillings far more manageable when fruit is at its peak.

When the harvest is generous, prep tools like these help you keep pace—turning piles of fresh produce into ready-to-preserve ingredients with less effort and far less mess.

Don’t Forget the Herbs & Nuts

Preserving isn’t just about what fills the jars—it’s also about the pickling ingredients that build flavor. Fresh herbs, toasted spices and chopped nuts bring depth, aroma and character to everything from pickling brines to chutneys, pestos, infused oils and small-batch sauces. Thinking beyond fruits and vegetables is what turns simple home preserving into true pantry building.

These tools help you capture those layers of flavor quickly and precisely:

• Sur La Table 10-Blade Herb Shears
  Snip fresh herbs directly into brines, marinades or oil infusions. Multiple blades make fast, even work of delicate leaves—perfect when you’re processing bunch after bunch at peak freshness.
• Chef’n Mortar and Pestle
  Crushing herbs and spices releases essential oils that deepen flavor. Use it to bruise rosemary for infused oils, grind spice blends for pickling or create fresh pastes for small-batch sauces and condiments.
• Sur La Table Ratchet Garlic & Ginger Chopper
  Ideal for finely chopping garlic, ginger or small amounts of nuts for relishes, pestos and flavor-packed toppings. The ratcheting motion makes quick, consistent work of small-batch prep.

When you treat herbs and nuts as part of the harvest, preserving becomes less about storage and more about flavor—building a pantry that’s as vibrant and versatile as the season itself.

Recipes to Put It All to Use

Once your tools are ready and your produce is prepped, the fun part begins—turning what’s fresh and abundant into something deliciously lasting.

These recipes are excellent starting points for experimenting with seasonal produce and classic canning and preserving techniques, but they’re also super flexible. Swap in what’s ripe, adjust seasonings to taste and let the season guide what goes into each jar.

• Sous Vide Flavor-Packed Pickles
  This modern take on pickling uses sous vide to infuse vegetables with bold, balanced flavor while keeping their crisp texture intact. It’s a great technique to try when cucumbers—or any crunchy vegetable—are plentiful and you want consistent, deeply seasoned results.
• Pickled Watermelon Radish
  This quick pickle highlights the natural color and peppery bite of watermelon radish with a bright, tangy brine. It’s an easy way to preserve root vegetables and add vibrant flavor and color to salads, sandwiches and snack boards.
• Strawberry Orange Jam
  Ripe strawberries and fresh citrus come together for a jam that’s sweet, fragrant and balanced with gentle brightness. It’s perfect for capturing peak-season berries and works beautifully with other fruit variations, too.
• Strawberry-Vanilla Preserves
  This classic preserve pairs juicy strawberries with warm vanilla for a rich, comforting flavor. It’s a lovely way to highlight summer fruit and a great base for experimenting with other aromatic additions.

With the right tools, you can enjoy that spring harvest all year round.
Shop our Canning Tools