BUT we're going to also show you an easier method - we'll cook the cherries until they are soft, and then use a food mill or strainer to separate the pulp from the pits. If you have a food mill or other strainer, or you are using frozen pitted cherries, skip to step 3. Method 1 - Manual one at a time cherry pitters Slow and tedious, they work but only for small quantities and occasional use.
A cherry pitter is inexpensive and easy to use, once you learn the trick. The goal is to push down so the metal stem holds the pit down against the opening in the bottom of the cup. The pits will not go through the hole; it is just to help trap them. Then just push the cherry off and use your thumb on the underside of the cup, to push the pit back out.
How to Pit Cherries - Several Methods
These work great on moderate quantities of cherries, like a batch of 2 to 10 lbs, because they are much faster than manual one at a time pitters and work fairly reliably. These things are amazing; easy fast and reliable. The Norpro can handle larger volumes of cherries reliably! I can pit a cherry per second. The Leifeit is even better, as it is larger! Comments from a visitor on July 1, They pit cherries reliably and remarkably fast! Just tell your readers to NOT lose the orange inserts they may be other colors now that come with the cherry pitter. They're definitely necessary to actually pit the cherries.
Setting up the Norpro-cherry-pitter.
Reward Yourself
MPG Using the N orpro-cherry-pitter. MPG Now, if you absolutely can't get hold of a cherry pitter I think you could heat the cherries to a boil, then run them through a foley food mill or other strainer, to separate the pits from the cherries. I haven't tried it, but that ought to be easier than manually pitting cherries with a knife.
Method 3 - Fill the crockpot with the cherries This method only works if you will be cooking with the cherries, typically as a puree. We'll use the crockpot to soften up the cherries so we can pass the pulp through a strainer to remove the pits and any stems. I fill the crock pot and add 1 cup of apple juice or cherry juice or water, as you prefer and have available per pound of cherries.
So, for our 6 lb batch, that's 6 cups of liquid.
It may seem like a lot of liquid, but the cherries will absorb a fair amount of it. I turn it on high and let it go for an hour, then turn it down to low for a couple more hours. Step 2 - Let cool until it it warm, not hot Why let it cool? It's pretty hard to pick out the pits while you are burning your fingers, that's why! So I let it cool just enough that I hand reach in and pick out pits. If you started with pitted cherries, it doesn't matter; you can skip to step 5 and strain while it is hot.
Step 3 - Strain the cooked, softened cherries Once cool, you can run your fingers through it and pretty quickly feel and remove the hard pits. If you don't mind the cherries becoming a puree, then a cylindrical food strainer, like the Roma or Vittorio work best. A Foley food mill will work, but it tends to get the pits caught under the blade, so you have to stop frequently to remove pits; but it does a great job and take less time than manually pitting the cherries before cooking.
There's a much faster way to de-pit cherries. I just tried it. You need a 13" rectangular glassware pan filled with a single layer of washed cherries and something to cover them like parchment paper I used a silicone baking mat that fit perfect inside the pan. Finally just gently smack the paper mat with something with heft like a rubber mallet. The pits just slide on out from the flesh. I just de-pitted 5 cups worth of small Montmorency cherries from my tree in roughly 35 minutes while watching TV.
Just thought I would share this. Cherry pitters are not too helpful for small cherries like this, so definitely pass on the good news. If you want to make anything with fresh cherries, you will need a cherry pitter. If you've ever broken a tooth or crown on a cherry pit, you'll appreciate the need for a good cherry pitter!
And given the wide variety of pitters available, see the reviews and comparisons below to know which cherry pitter is best for your needs and budget. We have all makes, model s and prices here. Whether you are canning for your first time or in your 50th year of canning; all the supplies you need are here, and at the best prices you'll find anywhere! Scroll down this page for photos, descriptions, prices and ordering information. See this page for Canners all types. You can find steam juicers on this page and mechanical juicers here!
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Everything All can be shipped by a variety of methods, including overnight, if you have a canning emergency! For more information, and NO obligation to buy, just click on the links in the Amazon boxes on the left! If you have fresh cherries and you want to do anything with them, you will definitely need a cherry pitter or cherry stoner. There are two basic types the hand held one-at a-time design sold in grocery stores, and the much more practical table model shown at left. Comments from a visitor on June 09, This is just like the colander that my grandmother and probably yours used.
So many people have asked me where to get one of these, that I finally found one.
Starting a Cherry Tree from a Pit
It looks very well made. On the other hand, I usually prefer the hand-crank or motorized strainers for anything but a small batch. Product Description Chinois Food Mill is made of stainless steel fine mesh and includes wood pestle for easy grinding. This tool is great for sauces, soups, vegetables and fruits. Product Description The convenience of a stand allows you to walk away and let gravity and the chinois do the work of straining.
Use it for straining stock or in conjunction with the tapered wooden pestle as a food press to squeeze juice from raspberries or pulp from pumpkin while leaving undesirable fibers seeds and particles behind.
Download both on your phone or tablet for easy access. Your email address will not be published. Did you make this recipe? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Your email will not be published or shared. By commenting I offer my full consent to the privacy policy of A Spicy Perspective. We have a cherry tree used to have two until one of them died and I always used a cleaned off needle nose plier.
It worked well, but was hard on the hands. This little tool looks a lot better! I need a cherry pitter. You know, for pigs like me that want to eat four cherries at a time… ; Beautiful photos!! The minute we moved to California and noticed a cherry tree in our yard, I bought a cherry pitter. I love that thing! I actually hate my cherry pitter. It never works for me. Always misses the pit or just sprays juice everywhere.. LOL I think I need to get a new one! I love my oxo cherry pitter! I have been using a very old vintage one for years, but this oxo pitter is so much easier and neater!
I have a cherry pitter but do not use it very often. I am usually pitting them after picking tons and I use a straw. Same idea — just push the straw through pushing the pit out and can do a string of them without stopping. I once had one for a day and broke it on the first olive I pipped. Um, this is a life savor! Love the tweezer idea.
Our favorite is a fresh cherry pie with lattice crust. I have another cherry pitting technique that I learned from a Ukrainian friend: Makes cherry recipes so easy!! I'm so glad you stopped by.
How to Pit Cherries - A Spicy Perspective
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