The Funnel Hack That Makes Pitting Cherries A Breeze

Cherries are tartly sweet and particularly excellent in baked desserts. However, if you plan on purchasing a bunch of cherries to make a fresh cherry pie, you will soon discover that pitting them is quite a tedious task — especially if you go for the traditional method of using a pairing knife. Luckily, there is an easy way to get rid of those pits quickly — and all it requires is a kitchen funnel.

The funnel cherry-pitting trick is the perfect way to get the pesky stones out of your cherries without relying on any special gizmos. Also, since this method is easier and quicker than the conventional way, you are less likely to lose focus and miss a pit or two — after all, nothing is worse than spending the time baking a delicious cherry pie only to bite down on a hard pit. This is because cherry pits are not only capable of cracking teeth but also, like some other fruit pits, contain trace amounts of cyanide, which could kill you in high doses. While swallowing a whole, uncracked cherry pit likely won't harm you, the safest option is just to avoid accidentally eating one in the first place by properly pitting your cherries. So, how do you do it?

The biggest benefit of using a funnel to pit cherries is that you can do it with a tool you already likely have in your kitchen. When pitting your cherries, you'll want to place the funnel upside down on a plate or napkin for stability and to manage the potential mess. You will be pressing the cherries into the skinny bottom end of the funnel to pop out the pits. If your funnel end is big enough, the pits may fall through the funnel and onto the plate. If not, simply press the cherries into the funnel until they slide down and the pits remain on top. Then, grab the pits off the top of the funnel and place them in a separate bowl to throw away later.

For the easiest pitting experience, try to choose a funnel with an end that is slightly bigger than a typical cherry pit. This will mean you don't have to pierce the cherry all the way through and can instead press the cherry onto the funnel about halfway or until the pit dislodges and falls through the funnel and onto the plate. Ideally, you should use a metal funnel for its sharper edges, which will make quick work of the tender fruit.

If you can't access a funnel, don't fret. There are many other pitting methods. In fact, another clever way to pit cherries is with a paperclip. For this trick, you pull part of the paper clip away from the main body and then use it as a scoop to pull out the pit. Although relatively easy and inexpensive, you will need a standard-sized paperclip (rather than one of the jumbo ones) for it to work.

Another common method is to pit cherries with a chopstick. Any sized chopstick will do, and you will also need a small-mouthed bottle (like a wine bottle) to act as a cherry holder. Then, simply place your cherry on top of the bottle and poke the chopstick through the top of the fruit until you force the cherry pit out of the bottom and into the bottle.

Lastly, if you have a cherry tree in your yard or, for some reason, find yourself spending a lot of time every year pitting cherries, it might be worth it to invest in a special cherry pitting tool. These typically handheld machines are relatively inexpensive and have been built specifically to pop pits out of the little red fruits. You can find them for under $10 online. Cherry pitters are probably only worth the extra space in your utensil drawer if you plan to use them often, but if you do, they can be super convenient and helpful.