Cherry pitter facts for kids
Have you ever eaten a cherry and wished the hard seed, called a pit, wasn't there? A cherry pitter is a cool tool that helps you take the pit out of a cherry. It leaves the cherry mostly whole and ready to eat!
There are many kinds of cherry pitters. Some are small tools you hold in your hand. Others are bigger machines for home use, often with a crank. There are even huge machines used in factories!
Contents
How a Cherry Pitter Works
Most hand-held cherry pitters work in a simple way. First, you take off the cherry stem. Then, you push a small rod, called a plunger, through the cherry. This plunger pushes the pit right out the other side. The pit often stays attached to the plunger or is held by it.
Some pitters use a hollow plunger. This plunger cuts the pit out along with a tiny bit of the fruit around it. Other pitters use a solid plunger. This plunger just forces the pit to break through the cherry's flesh. In almost all pitters, the cherry rests on a surface with a hole. This way, the whole fruit doesn't get squashed when you push the pit out.
Different Types of Hand Pitters
There are many different designs for hand-held cherry pitters. Some can pit several cherries at once! They have platforms that hold up to seven or more cherries. These pitters use multiple plungers at the same time.
The plunger can be pushed by hand. Or, it might have a spring that pulls it back up after you push. The way the plunger moves can be straight or curved. The plunger itself might even be shaped to follow a curved path.
Cost and Modern Designs
Cherry pitters usually cost between $1 and $20. Most pitters sold in grocery stores are about $5 to $10.
In recent years, people have started making their own pitters. You can find designs online that you can print using a 3D printer! This lets you make a cherry pitter at home.
Some cherry pitters are super handy because they can also remove pits from olives!
Images for kids
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Handheld cherry pitter
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Tabletop cherry and olive pitter
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Cherry pitters with spring mechanism
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A friendly robot
