The cherry pitter you need to go buy right now

As a big believer in eating lots of cherries during cherry season, I have tended to run through a cherry pitter about every three years. The one pitter on the market had a fatal design flaw which meant that sooner or later, the blade or whatever you call that cross-shaped spear that went through the cherry and forced the pit out tended to follow a pit out and wind up in the sink, permanently unattached.

I'm not a big fan of Oxo's "Good Grips" line of kitchen implements, seems like a smart way to charge an extra $5 for a fat piece of rubber around the same device as everyone else makes, but their cherry pitter may change my mind. The cross-shaped spear thing seems much more securely attached, in an entirely different way, and there's also a nice little splash guard that catches much of the Dawn of the Dead-gunshot effect that you normally get when the pit is forced out the back of the cherry. It costs about what two of the old cherry pitters cost, but the investment seems likely to pay off sometime around 2014. I got mine at Sur La Table, but you might look anywhere that carries Oxo products.

http://www.surlatable.com/product/539882.do

I've had that cherry pitter for a couple of years, and so far, so good. I find the splash-guard to be only marginally effective, but with an apron dedicated to only cherry-pitting, who cares? (I still pit, though, in a deep sink so as to minimize any oversplash on the countertops.)

Thanks for this. I haven't been able to find ANY cherry pitter for about 2 years. I know Linens 'n' Things does a big Oxo business. May try there.

I'll absolutely vouch for this cherry pitter as well. A great product.

Hi,

I swear by small paperclips for removing cherry pits.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

I swear by small paperclips for removing cherry pits.

Regards,

C2, how does this work?

Jay K wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

I swear by small paperclips for removing cherry pits.

Regards,

C2, how does this work?

It's the Martha Stewart method

Fujisan wrote:

Jay K wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

I swear by small paperclips for removing cherry pits.

Regards,

C2, how does this work?

It's the Martha Stewart method

FYI - I picked up the idea from reading the Joy of Cooking in the 1980's.

While Martha makes an effort to preserve the stem side, I take a slightly different approach. I begin by opening a small paper clip to have a large and small loop at each end. Depending on the size of the stone, I will use the larger or smaller loop. The loop enters through the stem depression, then I maneuver the loop to scoop the stone out through the stem hole. I think the cherry looks nice and neat. Whereas I have a few cherry pitters, I think it makes the cherry look tattered.

When I buy cherries next, I will make a small video clip of my method of pitting cherries.

Regards,

mrbarolo wrote:I know Linens 'n' Things does a big Oxo business. May try there.

I got mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond. But the Linens & Things across from Old Orchard on Golf Rd. is going out of business, so you may want to take advantage.

mrbarolo wrote:Thanks for this. I haven't been able to find ANY cherry pitter for about 2 years. I know Linens 'n' Things does a big Oxo business. May try there.

You want mine? Take it. I don't know what kind it is, it's shiny and silver. I hate it with all my soul. It takes a decade or two to pit a bag of cherries, splatter is no fun, and some of the pits still didn't come out! Thus I had a cherry pie that required some spitting! Ew! All the work isn't worth it, from now on I'm buying frozen and that's that.

One cherry/olive pitter, used twice, great condition, FREEEEEE.

I put the kids to work doing it.

But it does require checking them to see if the pit really came out. Since I usually slice them in half anyway, no big deal.

Anyone have one of the big guys like this?

I want to be ready come the season because I do anticipate another cherrypalooza of canning, with the occasional freezing b/c I have a day job & I don't tend to stay up late.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/rosle/sta ... KgodDT4BCA

http://www.amazon.com/Leifheit-37204-Ch ... rvi_cart_1

My local Marshalls had a few of the Oxo pitters for about $7. Bought one. Caved to LTHForum peer pressure....again.....

I picked up a Cherry Pitter back in the 80's when I was living in KY and needed one for local available produce. (lots at a time!)
This is the closest I could find to the model I got made in Germany:
http://www.amazon.com/Leifheit-37200-Ch ... 761&sr=8-3

Thanks for letting me know about the good grips one - for smaller amounts I will be getting one.

exvaxman wrote:I picked up a Cherry Pitter back in the 80's when I was living in KY and needed one for local available produce. (lots at a time!)
This is the closest I could find to the model I got made in Germany:
http://www.amazon.com/Leifheit-37200-Ch ... 761&sr=8-3

Mine arrived last week.

Mine arrived last week.

Not the same model, just the closest I could find to mine. How does it work?
Mine has metal throughout, and I would be interested in going to all plastic.

exvaxman wrote:

Mine arrived last week.

Not the same model, just the closest I could find to mine. How does it work?
Mine has metal throughout, and I would be interested in going to all plastic.

No cherries to pit, may try olives.

No cherries to pit, may try olives.

This has my interest as well
Please let me know how it works!

I have always had more olives to pit than cherries. The problem I have had is our cheap cherry pitter is not tall enough to handle a large green olive. Are any of the the pitters you are mentioning tall enough to handle these large olives?

Here's what you need! Although it might be overkill!

I've got an old German cherry pitter which works just fine on olives of all sizes. Made out of pot metal, cheap. But very functional.

Geo

I got one a few years ago at World Market. It works well on olives and cherrys. To prevent the splater I deseed them in a large pot. There is a lot of juice that is in the pot after I do a lot of cherrys so I put it in a strainer and stir the pits to get the juice out of the pulp left behind.

I came across this hint for pitting cherries. Rig up your own cherry pitter using an empty narrow necked bottle and a chopstick. Place the stemmed, washed cherry stem-side up on the bottle opening. Holding the cherry steady with your fingers, use the chopstick to push the pit through the cherry and into the bottle. When done, shake the pits from the bottle into your composter or trash.