How to pit Cherries with a Chopstick and Knife (step-by-step picture tutorial)

It's the season where all the wonderful sweet cherries flood the markets. It's also the time where cherry desserts are popular and cherries need to be pitted. Before I came up with this technique, I used to halve cherries and dig pits out with my fingers. Not so pretty, but it worked.

Sometime last year, I remembered reading about using a chopstick to pit a cherry. I tried it once and the cherry was mangled with juice leaking everywhere. I figured that there had to be an easier way and I came up with this method. All you need is a chopstick, knife, plate, and cherries.

Note: I recommend "X-ing" all the cherries first then pushing them out with the chopstick to make the process go faster.

Mmm. The finished bowl of cherries.

Gather your tools: a blunt tip chopstick, knife, and plate. Don't forget your cherries!

Muahhaha. The victim: a ripe cherry.

Make a "X" with your knife on the bottom of the cherry. (NOTE: Watch your fingers! I almost nicked myself a couple of times.)

When you make your "X," make sure the incision goes all the way down to the pit.

Grip the cherry like so. Hold it firmly.

With the chopsticks, give a firm push through the top (where the stem used to be).

The pit should pop right out with minimal juice and flesh loss.

Sometimes pits have a hard time coming out so you'll need to help it along by digging  from the bottom.

X marks the spot!

Done~ Enjoy your bowl of cherries!