Tool: Japanese Pickle Press

A device designed for making and storing Japanese-style pickles, such as tsukemono. Typically made out of plastic today, there is a storage container with an adjustable strainer attached to the lid. The strainer can be lowered to hold the pickled items (usually vegetables) submerged in the pickling liquid with some pressure. For serving it is used to compress and extract the liquid even further.

More traditional, pickle presses used stone weights to apply pressure. Still in use, the traditional weight models are made from a variety of materials, such as plastic, wood, glass or ceramic.

You can improvise a pickle press by placing a plate face down on top of your pickles and putting stones or even canned foods in a plastic bag on top.