6 Canning Cherries Pitted Methods Grandparents Used to Know

Before the market was flooded with single-use plastic gadgets, our grandparents had clever, resourceful ways to get this job done. Understanding these methods isn’t just about nostalgia; it’s about being prepared with simple, effective techniques that use what you already have. These skills turn a daunting chore into a manageable part of the harvest rhythm.

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Classic Cherry Pitting Before Modern Gadgets

Long before you could order a specialized tool online, pitting a bushel of cherries was a test of ingenuity. The goal was simple: get the pit out with minimal fuss and without destroying the fruit. This was especially important when the cherries were destined for canning whole, where appearance matters.

These methods rely on common household items, turning everyday objects into effective tools. The underlying principle is always leverage and precision. You’re either pushing the pit straight through or hooking it out from the stem end. The best method often depended on what was in the kitchen drawer and what the cherries were being used for.

Using a Clean Hairpin for Precise Pitting

A simple, clean hairpin—the classic bobby pin style—is a surprisingly precise tool for pitting cherries. You simply insert the looped end into the stem cavity of the cherry. The goal is to slide it down one side of the pit until you can feel it curve underneath.

With a gentle scooping motion, you hook the pit and pull it back out through the top. This method is fantastic for preserving the cherry’s shape, as it leaves only a small hole. The tradeoff is speed. It’s a meticulous, one-at-a-time process, best suited for smaller batches or when you need picture-perfect fruit for a special preserve or dessert.

Think of this as the surgical option. It’s clean and effective, but you wouldn’t want to process fifty pounds of cherries this way unless you have a long afternoon and a good podcast. Always be sure to thoroughly wash and sanitize the hairpin before you begin.

The Unfolded Paperclip Pitting Technique

The paperclip method works on the same principle as the hairpin but uses a more common office supply. Unfold a standard metal paperclip, leaving one of the U-shaped ends intact to serve as a small, sturdy hook. This little hook becomes your pitting tool.

Just like with the hairpin, you insert the hooked end into the stem hole, work it around the pit, and pull it out. A slightly larger paperclip often works better, providing a more robust tool that won’t bend as easily. It’s a great alternative if you don’t have hairpins handy.

The main difference is that the end of a paperclip can be sharper and less rounded than a hairpin. You have to be a bit more careful to avoid tearing the fruit. It’s another slow but effective method for maintaining the cherry’s integrity.

Push-Through Pitting with a Sturdy Straw

This technique trades a bit of finesse for a big gain in speed. You need a firm, sturdy straw—think reusable metal, hard plastic, or even the wide end of a piping tip used for cake decorating. A flimsy paper or plastic straw will just bend and make a mess.

Hold the cherry in one hand and position the straw over the stem end. With a firm, quick motion, push the straw straight through the center of the cherry. The pit will be forced out the other side, often taking a small plug of flesh with it.

This method is faster than hooking but leaves a larger, cleaner hole through the entire fruit. It’s perfect for cherries destined for pies, sauces, or dehydration where a uniform hole doesn’t matter. The downside? It can be messy, as juice tends to squirt out with the pit. Working over a deep bowl is non-negotiable.

The Wine Bottle and Chopstick Pitting System

This is perhaps the most iconic of the old-school methods, and for good reason. It’s a brilliant system that combines a simple tool with a clever way to contain the mess. You place an empty wine or beer bottle on your work surface, then set a single cherry on the bottle’s opening, stem-side up.

Using a chopstick, skewer, or similar blunt-ended object, you place the tip on the cherry’s stem dimple and push down firmly. The chopstick forces the pit through the cherry and down into the bottle. The cherry is left, perfectly pitted, on top.

This assembly line is surprisingly efficient for one person. Its real genius is mess containment. The pits and juice fall directly into the bottle, keeping your workspace much cleaner. The only requirement is having the right size bottle and a chopstick, but most farm kitchens have something that will work.

The Simple Squeeze-and-Pinch Hand Method

When you have absolutely no tools and a pile of cherries to process for jam or sauce, this is the method of last resort. It is exactly what it sounds like: you hold the cherry between your thumb and forefinger and squeeze until the pit pops out. It’s fast, requires nothing but your hands, and gets the job done.

Let’s be clear: this is a messy, brute-force technique. It completely mangles the cherry, leaving you with torn flesh and a lot of juice on your hands and counter. You would never use this for canning whole cherries or for any recipe where the fruit’s appearance is important.

However, for a big batch of cherry jam or a rustic pie filling where the fruit will cook down anyway, it’s a viable option. It’s a reminder that sometimes "good enough" is the most practical solution on the farm. Just be prepared for a significant cleanup.

Using a Vintage-Style Hand-Crank Pitter

This method represents the next step up in grandparent technology. Before electric appliances were common, hand-crank pitters were the go-to for anyone processing a serious amount of fruit. These devices usually clamp onto the edge of a table or counter.

You feed cherries into a hopper, turn a crank, and a spring-loaded plunger pushes the pit out of each cherry as it passes through the mechanism. The pitted fruit drops out one chute, and the pits drop out another. It’s much faster than any single-pitting method and a lifesaver for large harvests.

The primary tradeoff is consistency. These machines are not 100% accurate. You must always check the pitted fruit for missed pits, as biting down on one in a pie is a terrible surprise. They also require setup and a thorough cleaning afterward, but for turning a bushel of cherries into a manageable task, their efficiency is hard to beat.

From Pitted Cherries to Perfect Preserves

The pitting method you choose should be dictated by your end goal. There is no single "best" way; there is only the best way for what you’re making. This is a core principle of practical homesteading—matching the tool and technique to the job at hand.

Here’s a simple framework:

• For beautiful, whole canned cherries or garnishes: Use the hairpin or paperclip method. The pristine appearance is worth the extra time.
• For pies, cobblers, or dehydrated cherries: The straw or wine-bottle-and-chopstick methods are perfect. They are fast, and the hole through the fruit doesn’t matter.
• For jam, sauce, or cherry butter: The hand-squeeze method or a hand-crank pitter is your best bet. Speed is the priority, as the fruit’s final form is irrelevant.

Don’t get caught up in finding one perfect tool. Instead, build your skills with a few of these techniques. Knowing how to pivot from a precise method to a fast one will make you a more resilient and effective preserver of your harvest.

Ultimately, these time-tested methods are about more than just removing a pit from a piece of fruit. They represent a mindset of resourcefulness and making do with what you have—a valuable skill for any hobby farmer. The satisfaction of looking at a pantry shelf lined with jars of your own cherries is made even sweeter when you know you did it with simple tools and a bit of inherited wisdom.