But they are washable…and you can put them in the dryer. But once you get them saved up, all you need to do is rinse and thoroughly clean the pits. Step Five: Allow to air dry or gently dry with another clean tea towel. * For a green drain cleaner, mix equal parts baking soda and vinegar, typically a half-cup to a cup, and pour it down the drain.. Make a glaze for your favorite kind of pork chop or chicken breast! We ate a ton of the cherries fresh, but I also put some aside to preserve. (Hint: If you’re in a restaurant, ask for a slice of lemon and start pre-treating on the spot.) Whole cherries take a long time to dehydrate (like 24-36 hours) but it's very passive labor. Instead, all you need to do is save your pits. I used kiln dried cherry pits i bought at a TSC. This site may earn commissions when you click on certain links. Perfect flavor combination, and the amaretto seems to mellow the cooked cherry flavor. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. So into the sink went my first twenty pound of Lapin cherries. We use them just like raisins in salads, cookies, granola, and as snacks. How about bean(pits)bags for corn hole game? A better choice was to make Cherry Amaretto Jam. I have been getting questions recently about how we are surviving without our microwave. I got a Norpro Cherry Pitter last year (maybe the year before) that I hadn’t had a chance to use yet, so I pulled it out and put it to the test. Good idea! And no way to figure out the actual measurement! In fact, one of the biggest fruit growers in the entire world is just right across the hill. Step Two: Submerge the produce in the water. Luckily, heat deactivates the amygdalin in the pit and makes them safe to consume – most of these recipes involve heat, so you should be safe. Back in my high school days, I spent the hot, sunny days of summer swamping cherries amongst those orchards. Putting up summer's bounty? Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool overnight in the refrigerator. Step One: Fill a sink or large bowl with the water. Before we utilize fruit in vegetables in any way, we are always careful to wash it. We went home with 15 lbs of cherries at $2.75/lb. This year I’m also going to make cherry jam, try a cherry salsa recipe I found online & cherry syrup. And there’s an online recipe for Cherry Salsa that sounds interesting too. Be sure that you are starting with very fresh (not overripe) berries. I am always on the hunt for good sources especially the pick your own. Put all of the ingredients in a saucepan along with two parts water and bring to a boil. You will need: Once it’s hot, you’ll let it steep for a couple of hours before straining it and adding the rest of the ingredients. © 2020 New Life On A Homestead | Homesteading Blog. A few orders of business today, my friends. Turns out there’s a lot one can do with cherry pits. I am happy to report that…, I’ve got to admit, getting into the swing of using up this milk from our new dairy cow has been a pretty easy task. And if so, could they be used over and over? A city girl learning to homestead on an acre of land in the country. Produce Wash. I estimate that it cost me between $4-$5 per quart jar to make this pie filling, roughly (not including the jars themselves). And I LOVE dehydrated cherries. Fond memories! You will do this for fifteen minutes before cleaning and squeezing them again. …. But so what! © Copyright 2020 The Elliot Homestead | Privacy Policy, http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/dehydrators/colors?acc=b2eb7349035754953b57a32e2841bda5. You only need nine pounds of cherry pits, a cup of red wine, a cup of sugar, and some basil. 1. Combine the vinegar and water in a large bowl. Set on one of these super cool tea towels (for some reason, when I use them, I feel like my life is in order and organized. I strained it twice and I seem to still get floaties at the top, white floaties. Thanks. I dried some in the dehydrator to add to granola, muffins, and other future snacks. For tough stains on fabric furniture or clothes, use cleaning vinegar alone on a sponge or rag to wipe away the spot. Put the pits in a clean Ball jar, cover them with vinegar, and shake them before securing the lid. Just place two or three pits in a small container and add your planting medium. When it coagulates into a big enough mass you can remove some or all and put it in your apple (or other juice) and start another batch of vinegar from it. Number One. When it’s done, you will have a delicious cherry pit vinegar that you can use as a salad dressing, a simple sauce, or a topping for fish or poultry. Nothing could be easier or tastier. You’ll heat this ice cream recipe up before you do anything else, which will help to neutralize the toxins in the pits. I LOVE fresh cherries but I’m not keen on the taste of cooked ones, so I always struggle with what to do with the extra cherries we don’t eat fresh. Some were frozen for a cold summer snack. I just strained it and put it in a glass jar and lidded it. No amount of washing will remove all the pesticides on produce, but it's still a great way to help avoid over-exposure and cross- contamination. You should be out celebrating our Independence Day – how blessed we are to live in this wonderful nation! Add 1 1/3 cup vinegar and 1 tbsp salt and stir to dissolve. I remember being stern with the pickers about picking too many leaves into their bins, so as I sat sorting the few leaves out of the lugs of cherries, I had to chuckle. Luckily, heat deactivates the amygdalin in the pit and makes them safe to consume – most of these recipes involve heat, so you should be safe. Many stores sell expensive sprays meant to disinfect the produce safely, but you can use plain white vinegar instead. If you’re in the market for a cherry pitter, other than it not coming with any assembly directions (which took a minute to figure out) I’m very pleased with this one. To make it, all you need to do is combine one-part pits with two parts sugar. Fill a large bowl with 1 part white vinegar to 4 cups water. When all was said and done, I had almost a quart of cherry pits leftover. – Luke warm filtered water It's also very quick and easy to whip up a homemade produce wash that will help to remove any bacteria or pesticide residue left on the produce. * Clean floors by mopping with a half-cup of baking soda dissolved in a bucket of warm water, then rinse. I am wondering. We have made brandied cherries in the past couple of years and given them as gifts at Xmas, but they are a little strong for my taste. You could use cut-up pieces of fabric, too, depending on how big you want your heating pads to be. How do you use them, and have you found a way to use the seeds as well? To reduce exposure, buy organic when possible.) Here’s how to bake better bread at home. As I placed the last tray of cherries in my dehydrator, I felt quite proud of my accomplishment. Step One: Fill a sink or large bowl with the water. Use old pillowcases and stuff them full of the pits. So in the summertime, when fruit is abundant and cheap, I like to put up a bottle or two of fruit vinegar. Tips & strategies to get you prepping...fast! If you’d rather steer clear of eating them, but still want to do something other than toss out the seeds, here are a few more fun options. They're not “dirty” they're just sticky with fruit goo. Cherry jam. Homemade Produce Wash You will need: – Luke warm filtered water – 2 tablespoons hydrogen peroxide (or salt) – 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar – 4 drops natural dish soap. Yum! Level 1: Lemon juice or vinegar “Cherry stains are plant-based and can be broken down (pre-treated) with acids such as lemon juice and vinegar,” explains Miller. “Just like red wine and many other berries, cherries contain tannin, a chemical that’s often used as an agent for fabric dyes,” says Becca Napelbaum, a cleaning expert for Handy. I also think I need to purchase about six dozen more.). Cherry pits are excellent alternative fuel sources for heating your home – you can use them n a pellet burning stove, but first, they must be cleaned, scrubbed, and dried. It’s delicious in cocktails or when used as a compote! (Spot test a small area first, as vinegar is too strong for some delicate fabrics.)