How to Pit Cherries: 4 Ways to Pit Cherries

You will need to pit cherries to make all kinds of cherry-based fruit desserts like cherry pie or cherry cobbler. You can buy pre-pitted whole cherries from the grocery store, but using your own fresh cherries (and pitting them) will yield the most flavorful dish. The simplest way to pit cherries is by using a cherry pitter.

A cherry pitter is a kitchen tool that looks similar to a stapler, with a skewer at the top of the lever that pushes down into the cherry and removes the pit. Place the cherry in the cherry slot and press down on the lever with your hand. The pitting element will spear the cherry, driving the pit out into a bowl or attachable waste receptacle. There are also cherry pitters available that pit multiple cherries at a time.

If you do not have a cherry pitter, there are several DIY methods for pitting cherries without a cherry pitter. When you’re pitting cherries, make sure to work over a cutting board to avoid staining your work surface with red cherry juices. This will make clean-up much simpler.

1. 1. Using a chopstick and bottle: A chopstick simulates the same action as a cherry pitter because it functions as a skewer to pierce the cherry and extract its pit. Take an empty bottle with a small opening at the top (like a wine bottle or soda bottle). Place the cherry on the rim of the bottle, making sure that your cherry won't fall in. Use a chopstick to poke through the center of the cherry, pushing the pit out and into the bottle. Clean-up is a breeze because you can simply dispose of your bottles and cherry pits at the same time.
2. 2. Using a straw: The straw method is similar to using a chopstick to remove cherry pits. You can use either a plastic straw or a metal straw. Using a metal straw may even push your pit straight out of the bottom of the cherry, while you will need to push a plastic straw all the way through the cherry.
3. 3. Using a fork and pliers: You can create your own cherry pitter with a cheap, bendable fork. Using pliers, bend the two outside fork prongs all the way down, then bend the tips of the two middle prongs over to create a slight hook. Then use the bent fork to pull the cherry pit out from the bottom of the cherry.
4. 4. Using a paper clip: A paper clip is a simple DIY tool that you can use to pit cherries. Simply unfold the paper clip at each end to create a hook, then use your tool to dig into the cherry and pull out the pit.

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