And just in time, too, as the birds were enjoying way too many of our pie cherries. You could just look under the trees and see lots of pieces of nice, red cherries lying on the ground. But I just didn’t want to pit each one of thousands, one at a time, with my little, hand-operated, plunger-style pitter, knowing my antique pitter was coming, which I’d bought on Ebay. Yesterday, it was hanging in a bag, in a box, on our gate. Yea!

Here’s my new cherry pitter, in action.

Today, friends came over and helped weed in the Main Garden. Then, after lunch, they took buckets and, with Will, everyone went out and picked our three pie cherry bushes/trees. (First, I had Will pick a bowl full, to try out the new cherry pitter. We all gathered around and watched the pitter in action. You just turn the handle and the pits (mostly) come out the front chute while the kind of flattened cherries drop into a bowl, below. Yes, it did miss a few smaller pits. But it was easy to spot them when they fell as they were sort of yellow. I also felt each layer of cherries to make sure there weren’t any pits we’d missed. All in all, it is a joy to use and way faster than doing one at a time. We ended up with three ice cream pails full so this afternoon, I’ll be pitting the works. Tomorrow, after refrigerating the big bowl full, I’ll can them all up in pints to use in baking — pies especially. Wow, that’s so very nice!

Friends came today to help weed and pick cherries.
That pitter will see plenty of action this afternoon!

The garden continues to look good. Our Arnie’s Golden Butternut squash is fantastic, already setting lots of baby squash. And, in the same small plot, the new super-sweet, open-pollinated sweet corn we’re trialing for the first time, Damaun, is already waist high, even on Will, who is taller than I am. I can’t wait to try it!

We’re really happy at the growth of this new sweet corn, Damaun.

The lettuce I planted in old stock tanks is fabulous! I also trialed a new red lettuce from Fedco, Hyper-red, and it looks gorgeous! The Paris Island romaine lettuce, in the other tank, is wonderful too. Salads, here I come! — Jackie

16 COMMENTS

  1. BUSY BUSY BUSY what a treasure to have such friends help with the weeds. you know how fortunate you are. umm can taste the pies an cobblers you l make with the beautiful cherries. here they are winding down the huge commercial cherry harvest, alas 99.9% fresh no pie cherries anymore unless you know someone with a tree. hang in there! you re looking good with the knee outcome! Praise The Lord

    • Yes, for sure!! I made my first pie from our cherries today and shared it with David, Elizabeth and Munni. Delilah was having a nap in her dad’s lap. That pie was SO
      good, too!!

  2. Delighted with your pictures of
    Beautiful cherries. We had those
    In North Dakota. Got ours from
    Gurneys catalog. Wonderful for
    Jam and pie. Memories yes, I have
    That cherry putter, from Lehmans
    Catalog. Old proven equipment
    Just can’t be beat.

    • I’m simply amazed at how fast my cherry pitter works! After years of pitting, one at a time, this is a God-send!!

  3. Beautiful cherries! Our neighbor had a tree that had abundant fruit and she always let us pick. The tree was unfortunately the victim of “progress” and my bushes didn’t survive. These wonderful pictures make me want to try again.

    We do have an abundant harvest of apples–they are small but we are trying to get a good supply before the deer and squirrels eat all of them. We toss the ones that fall inside the garden fence over to the deer and usually they get most of the windfalls. It is so funny to see the squirrels carrying off an apple half their own size.

    • Yes, it is. We’ve lost our share of trees, too, but just keep planting, remembering the motto: Plant until you’re planted! Please try again.

  4. Oh those cherries!!! Beautiful!!! May I ask where you picked these bushes up? If they do this well at your house they would likely do well at mine. Thank you!

    • I got my cherries from both Honeyberry USA and St. Lawrence Nursery. This year, we’re trying planting some seeds, just to see. They are all own-root plants, not grafted ones.

  5. We inherited a cherry pitter exactly like the one in your pic. It belonged to my husband’s grandparents and nobody else wanted it. We don’t use it often but we think of them every time we do.

    • I’ll bet you do! It’s like my wood cutting board that my oldest son, Bill, made in wood shop, way back in junior high.

  6. Half inch of rain since early this morning and another half predicted.
    Dug a tater plant last night – four nice sized ones plus the one that was starting to peak out of the ground (which is why we dug that plant).
    Glad your multi-pitter is doing its job. Should really save you time.

    • It is saving me tons of time!! I love it. We’re getting some steady rain, every couple of days. That’s so very nice!!

  7. Jackie, yesterday, July 11th, I posted a question a question on your July 7th posting but yet to receive an answer. I know you are busy and may not have had time to answer, but my question is, do you check your old posts for late question s or only check current posts with in a certain length of time. Just wondering as it’s no problem to repost here. Love your pictures and some time it is hard to improve on those old kitchen tools, I have lots. Take care of that knee, blessings, Bev
    By

    • I try to check posts back two previous blogs. I’m sorry I missed your question; I’ll go right back and find it now.

    • That’s why she has the “Ask Jackie a Question” button to click on to the right of each of her blogs, near the top of the page. It goes to her email and she replies on your email! You won’t ever have to search her blogs for an answer to your question. Isn’t that easy?

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