North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Tim Inman" <Tim@historicinteriors.com>]

We have a 'punch' type cherry pitter that works great.  I did about 5 gallons of Northstar cherries in a little less than an hour last week.  My wife only found two or three pits that had 'escaped' into the cherries.  (Of course, one escapee is enough for an expensive tooth capping job!)

 

Here is a link to the type we have.  I think they are pretty commonly available at big box stores. 

 

 http://www.lehmans.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=1173&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=cherry+pitter

 

The trick is that a little cross shaped punch drives the pit down through the cherry and a silcone rubber 'gasket'.  Then, on the upstroke, the pit is pulled off the punch by the gasket, and the cherry falls off and down into the keeper bucket.  Makes a tedious job kinda fun.

 

Good luck,

 

Tim Inman

Randolph, IA