Getting cherries ready to use in a recipe requires using a piece of equipment that makes you wonder who was the first person to make it?

It’s a handy tool for sure. The cherry pitter. This device slides the pit right out of the middle of the cherry with ease.

You can use this kitchen gadget to remove the pits of cherries or the back of your kitchen knife. Place the cherry under your knife blade turned horizontal.

Apply pressure to slightly smash the cherry and extract the pit. A cherry pitter is so easy to use it’s worth getting one.

One important kitchen tip is you don’t want to prep your cherries on your wooden cutting board.

The cherry juice will run everywhere and end up staining your board. Try and work over a plate or paper towels so the juice of the cherries can be easily washed away.

This Wednesday, June 18, is National Cherry Tart Day. You don’t have to be an accomplished baker to make a cherry tart or pie.

There are many brands of ready-made pie crusts or already-baked-mini-shells to help you pull off a cherry dessert in your kitchen.

Take the help from the store where you can get it. That’s why these products are there waiting for you in the market.

You’re making a cherry pie filling with fresh ingredients. If anything needs to be as close as nature intended it’s the pie filling.

That cherry pie filling in a can on the store shelves is cloyingly sweet and there are so many added sugars they mask any cherry taste. And there certainly isn’t much “real” cherry taste.

Last June we talked about how we like to do mini-versions of pies and tarts. Sometimes these little mini-pies are all you need for a taste of summer after your meal.

Make a cherry pie filling with your mini -pies or pre-baked cups of cherries, with some orange juice or lemon juice, and some sugar. These mini -cherry pies, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a bowl, is cherry pie a la mode for a summer dessert.

Be sure and garnish with some mint before serving. Try this recipe from all recipes.com and make some cherry pies or tarts this week

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cherry-pie-filling/

Tomorrow we continue the cherry conversation.