Fresh cherries? Not the pits anymore!
From
| July 14, 2010
In Kitchen Basics
Here’s a photo of a must-have kitchen tool for summer. A cherry pitter will transform your relationship to fresh cherries -- making them “accessible” to put into fruit salads or whip into a fancy tart or homey cobbler.
In our opinion, the simplest pitters work best and don’t crush the fruit. But because the pitter essentially rams through the stem and blows the pit out the bottom, you will have a hole going all the way through the middle of the cherry. It’s also a good idea to wear an apron or an old shirt when pitting cherries as the juice does tend to splatter.
Some of the larger pitting contraptions that look sort of like a stapler and cost more aren’t really necessary. The simple pitters cost from about $10 to $13 and are made by KitchenAid and Oxo. A company called Leifheit also makes an all-metal version for about $11.
The best place to look for pitters is stores that sell a lot of cooking tools, such as Bed, Bath & Beyond. Or you can do a quick search on Amazon.com to order by mail.
Do you have a cherry pitter? What kind and do you like it?
Comments
From Beverly Mills - July 14, 2010
Our grocery ad just came out today and Publix is proclaiming that it's the SEASONAL PEAK for sweet cherries right now. They're $1.99 per pound, so it's now and now and now at my house!
From Carolyn - July 15, 2010
I love my Progressive Cherry-It Pitter. It pits 4 cherries at a time and catches the seeds in the attached bottom. Sure saves a lot of time when you have a lot of cherries to pit.
From Beverly Mills - July 15, 2010
Hi Carolyn Does this one mash the fruit?
From Beverly Mills - July 19, 2010
Via email: I purchased a "Progressive" brand "Cherry-It PItter" at Bed Bath and Beyond and it pits FOUR cherries at once. And, it is even top rack dishwasher safe. I didn't get a chance to try it this year but it will be a time-saver next year!.. There will not be as many cherries left on the tree for the birds to get. --Mary Minkkinen Perrysburg, Ohio
From Caeolyn - July 19, 2010
Beverly, no it does not mash the cherries at all! I think you can even use it for olives.It truly is a great tool.
From Beverly Mills - July 20, 2010
Thanks for responding Carolyn!
Related Recipes
Chocolate Cherry Tart
June 28, 2010
Use a cherry pitter to speed you through the prep process of this glorious tart.
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From Samina - July 14, 2010
What a timely post! I just got the OXO pitter last month & really like it. My 2 year old loves cherries & it's so much easier to use this than to try to pit them with a knife. The OXO unit is simple & no frills & it would probably give my hand a heck of a workout if I were trying to pit a couple of pies worth of cherries, but it's great for pitting enough for a snack.