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Fresh cherries? Not the pits anymore!

from The Kitchen :: July 14, 2010 :: 12:01 am
categories :: Kitchen Basics :: 7 comments

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?

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Comments

From Samina on July 14, 2010 :: 2:04 pm

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.

From Beverly Mills on July 14, 2010 :: 4:40 pm

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 on July 14, 2010 :: 11:08 pm

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 on July 15, 2010 :: 1:13 pm

Hi Carolyn
Does this one mash the fruit?

From Beverly Mills on July 19, 2010 :: 3:59 pm

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 on July 19, 2010 :: 4:07 pm

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 on July 19, 2010 :: 9:09 pm

Thanks for responding Carolyn!

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