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If you’re making long-fermented pickles, nuka, or sauerkraut, you’ll need a crock or other nonreactive container big enough to hold the vegetables submerged in brine. Don’t use very old stoneware crocks, as the glaze could contain lead. I’ve seen new food-safe crocks at hardware and kitchenware stores, but if you rummage around in your cupboard you’ll probably come across something you can use. My best sauerkraut-fermenting vessel, for example, is a plastic bucket that originally contained seven pounds of rendered duck fat (don’t ask).