You are so lucky! Use to use an old fashioned hairpin - the ones that are open, but now have a cherry pitter. Just wish I could get the cherries now. It would be worth pitting them either way.

Awesome! My family picked tart cherries two weeks ago-- about 20 pounds, I think. A cherry pitter is a must! We canned jam and pie filling, and a really nice pie. YUM!!! (have fun :) )

so...the almost final results are in

7 half pints cherry jam
6 half pints cherry jelly
5 half pints cherry relish
4 pints spiced/pickled cherries
13 pints cherry pie filling - yum
21 quarts cherry drink
Dried:
some "candied" cherries - really sweet plump and a s-t-i-c-k-y mess
cherry "raisins" (much better, wish I could do more!) ended up with about 2-3 cups once dry

prepped juice is still waiting in the fridge for cherry obsession jelly and cherry syrup, but as temps soared into the 100's and I don't have AC... will wait and see

oh...and cherries frozen for a fresh cherry pie ... after it cools down slightly!

We get tart cherries from our CSA. I simply divide them and freeze them, we love eating them all winter long, just as they are. I freeze them in different size bags ranging from single serving, to enough for a pie ;)

Our favorite ways to enjoy them are 1) on top of yogurt and 2) in a fresh baked pie.

Enjoy your cherries!

- Michele

Wow berry has been very busy! :) Hope you didn't get carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow from using the pitter.

Dave

Berrybusy, could you tell me the recipe you used for the pie filling? I've got to finish up with these tart cherries too.