Did you know that sour cherries are also called “sour cherries”? Shocking, right? But they have a secret identity: they’re the same as “tart cherries” or “pie cherries.”
Here’s a mind-blowing fact: a single sour cherry tree can produce up to 7,000 cherries in one season. That’s 7,000 pits to remove. Suddenly, your little bowl doesn’t seem so bad.
Also, cherry pits contain trace amounts of amygdalin. That’s a compound that can turn into cyanide if you eat a pound of crushed pits. So don’t blend them into a smoothie. Stick to pitting.
But here’s the twist: that faint, almond-like aroma you smell in cherry desserts? That’s from the pit! Bakers sometimes add a drop of cherry pit extract for flavor. You’re basically handling a tasty hazard.
How to Pit Cherries, Even Without a Cherry Pitter | Taste of Home
