How to Pit Cherries Even If You Don’t Have a Cherry Pitter

For fans of fresh, home-baked cherry pie, we’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is we’ve got an absolutely amazing recipe for cherry pie (and other fresh cherry recipes!) that will make the process of pitting cherries feel totally worth it. The bad news is that the process is long and arduous.

But does pitting cherries really have to be such a tedious process? The good news is no! You can pit cherries the easy way with or without the fancy pitter. Here’s how.

How to pit cherries with a cherry pitter

You may not want to hear this, but cherry pitters were invented for a reason. The standard cherry pitter grips the cherry, pokes the pit through swiftly, smoothly and easily, and has some sort of “splash guard” (because poking a pit through a cherry involves placing pressure on the fleshy, red orb, which will cause its juices to squirt all over). You can purchase one here for under $15, and it’s a worthy investment if you just can’t get enough of cherries.

Bottom line: This is the gadget you need if you’re serious about your cherry treats.

How to pit cherries without a pitter

The internet would have you believe you can pit cherries with all sorts of household do-dads from paperclips to pastry tips. We don’t recommend breaking out the office supplies to pit your cherries. Instead, you can use some common kitchen supplies:

• How to pit cherries with a chopstick or wooden skewer: Use a chopstick to poke through cherries to remove the pit. If you’re working with a wooden skewer, be mindful of that sharp end!
• How to pit cherries with a straw: Your standard plastic straw might not be up to the job due to the cherry’s firm flesh, but if you have reusable straws—metal or hard plastic—make use of them! Like you would with a strawberry, push the straw up through the bottom of the cherry through the top. You’ll get rid of the pit and stem.

Bottom line: If you don’t work with fresh cherries often, these hacks are good methods to rely upon (though a pitter is faster—it’s designed for the job!).

If you really don’t feel like the work of pitting cherries, try frozen cherries! You’ll find they taste a bit fresher than canned options. Give fresh cherries a try, though! You’ll taste the difference.