Cherries Galore!

I am a big fan of cherries. I grew up picking them with my Grandmother and my own mother and there is something so perfect, so absolutely delicious that I can't help but scoop them up when they are finally in season. And they are, finally, in season. I missed the U-pick time in Michigan, but we can still find those gorgeous bing cherries here in Indiana, in the supermarket.

What I didn't miss in Michigan, was the opportunity to purchase this little baby.

It's the Cherry Chomper and I am in LOVE with this little baby. I used to use something akin to scissors to pit the cherries we'd bring home. By the time I had pitted enough for preserves, my hand was killing me and my kitchen looked like a crime scene. No More! The mess is completely contained in the little body where all the pits fall and it is so much faster than anything else I've tried. (And my husband will tell you, I've tried more than my fair share of pitting gadgets. He teased me mercilessly about this one winding up in the bottom of the gadget drawer with all the others.)

And so with my Chomper in hand, I have pitted cherries that have been dried and tucked away for cereals and baking, and cherries that have been made into heavenly preserves. AND I am still pitting and drying and preserving more cherries. Even Hayes likes to get in on the action. Tomorrow we move on to Cherries in Wine. Oh the lovely Christmas baskets that will be sent! I can't wait.