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Want to make a cherry pie, but don’t have a cherry pitter? Here’s how to pit cherries without a cherry pitter – these tips will make your life easier this summer!

bowl of cherries


Easy Ways to Pit Cherries

So you’ve brought home a bunch of fresh cherries and want to make cherry pie filling, or maybe you just want to enjoy a bowl and not worry about the pits. If you don’t have a special tool then you’ve found the right place.

Today I’m going to teach you my favorite way to pit a cherry without a tool – using a straw. But I’ll also talk about a few other easy ways you can go about removing the pits.

cherries and straw on white background

How to pit a cherry with a straw

Tip: use a metal straw or a strong plastic reusable straw. Disposable ones are too flimsy, so I use a straw that comes with one of those reusable cups you get at Starbucks or that comes with your water bottle.

In my opinion, this is the best way to pit cherries if you don’t have a tool.

  • First, remove the stem.
  • Place the straw over the cherry where the stem was.
  • Hold the cherry in one hand and the straw in the other and press the straw through the cherry. It will pop the pit right out!

Other Methods:

Pastry Tip

Use any regular sized pastry tip. Place it, pointy side up, on the counter. Place the cherry on the tip and press down – the pit will pop right out.

Paper Clip

Unfold the paper clip, press it into the cherry, and dig it around until you find the pit. This method is much messier and will not leave a pretty looking cherry.

Chopstick

This is a cross between the paper clip and straw method: press the chopstick into the cherry where the stem was and (hopefully) the pit will pop out the other end. It’s easiest if you place the cherry on something sturdy, like a wine bottle or beer bottle (something glass).

Pairing Knife

Place the cherry on a cutting board and gently push the flat side of the knife onto the cherry to loosen the pit. Then it will pop out.

bowl of pitted cherries

FAQs

What’s the easiest way to pit cherries without a cherry pitter?

Using a straw is a simple way to get the pit out of the cherry, or use a chef’s knife.

Can you pit cherries with a wine bottle?

If you place a cherry on the opening of the glass bottle, remove the stem, then you can use a chopstick to press the pit through the cherry into the bottle.

bowl of cherries

How to Pit Cherries

5 from 2 votes
Learn the different ways to pit cherries without a tool.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 4 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound Cherries
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Instructions

  • Remove the stems from the cherries.
  • Remove the Pit with a straw: Place the straw over the cherry where the stem was. Hold the cherry in one hand and the straw in the other and press the straw through the cherry. It will pop the pit right out!
  • Remove the pit with a knife: Place the cherry on a cutting board and press the flat side of the knife gently onto the cherry to loosen the pit, then pop it out.
  • Use a pastry tip: Use any regular sized pastry tip to pit a cherry by placing it, pointy side up, on the counter. Place the cherry on the tip and press down – the pit will pop right out.
  • Use a paper clip: Unfold the paper clip, press it into the cherry, and dig it around until you find the pit. This method is much messier and will not leave a pretty looking cherry.
  • Use a bottle and chopstick: Place the cherry over the opening of the bottle and use a chopstick to press on the place where the stem was. The pit should pop out of cherry into the bottle.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • I find the straw or knife method to be the easiest.
  • Once they’re pitted, use the cherries within 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 73IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Snack
Cuisine American

My Favorite Tool

If you eat lots of cherries you might want to get a tool. This is my favorite one.

Cherry Recipes

Last Updated on January 31, 2023



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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