Monday, August 11, 2008

Cheery Cherries

Believe it or not, today was the first time I tried my hand at cherry pitting. Being a proper modern woman, of course I checked online to see how it should be done. Apparently there are numerous ways to do it—there’s the old fashioned way using a knife and your fingers, then there’s using a pitting tool, and then there’s the paperclip method. The latter sounded like fun so I tried it. Brilliant!!

1) Get a clean, metal paper clip.
2) Unfold the paper clip so that it looks like an "S."
3) Wash the cherries.
4) Insert the curve of the paper clip through the top of the cherry.
5) Twist or wiggle the paper clip to loosen the pit.
6) Pull the pit out. The stem comes out too.

I’m not really into gadgety things in the kitchen that work for only one use—e.g., a cherry pitting tool—so I truly loved this paperclip trick.

And now seven cups of cherries are ready and waiting to be made into pie!


6 comments:

Carrie said...

You pitted SEVEN CUPS OF CHERRIES with a PAPERCLIP!?!?!?!

I subscribe to the modern woman's cherry picker machine, thanks.

I'm not sure if I find you admirable or crazy. Maybe both. ;D

Heather L. said...

I'll need to remember this for the future! I hate pitting cherries by hand. Although I have been thinking about buying a pitter. :) But, a paper clip is much cheaper!

Micah said...

Mmmmmmm... call me when you make one =). Cherry pie (from fresh cherries) is my favorite!!!

Darren said...

Can I come visit??

Kevin Swan said...

So, you're going to bring the pie up to your new house and eat it while you watch progress, right? Just let me know when that is, so I can help you, um... watch progress.

k

Suzanne said...

Hey Amy,
I just had a few minutes and caught up on your blog. The paperclip method must be an update of the old hairpin method that my grandmother and great-grandmother used. Not a bobbie pin, but the old U-shaped pins that held up their hair buns, and in my great-grandmother's case--attached her headcovering. That's how I learned to pit cherries! :)