The Crafty Tip To Easily Remove Pits From Stone Fruit
Stone fruits, which include varieties like peaches, plums, and apricots, are identifiable by the hard, spherical pit in its center. While this pit, also known as a stone, is necessary for the fruit to ripen, it can be rather cumbersome when trying to cut into the fruit's flesh. Because of the round shape, a fruit's stone makes it difficult to cut even slices, and it creates an obstacle when trying to eat such a fruit whole. Fortunately, there is a way to remove the pit of a stone fruit without letting any delicious flesh go to waste, and it only requires a pair of needle nose pliers.
The need for pliers may make it seem like an industrious hack, but the actual technique is very straightforward. You will use the needle nose pliers to snatch the pit right out of the fruit. The only other necessary preparation is ensuring your pliers are clean and sanitized. Once you have done so, grab your fruit and press the closed pliers into the divot where the stem would be. When the pliers hit the pit, slightly open them so you can firmly clamp down on it, give it a twist, and the entire thing should come out in one go.
More tips for removing the pit
It's wise to try this with room-temperature fruit, as extracting the pit from cold fruit may be more challenging. That's just one reason you shouldn't keep stone fruit in the refrigerator. It's not the best idea to attempt this hack with old, rusty needle nose pliers, so you may want to consider buying a new pair to use solely in the kitchen. Or, you could invest in a pair of fish bone pliers, which are more delicate than regular pliers and intended for culinary purposes.
Remember to take basic safety precautions regardless of what type of pliers you go for. Don't stab into the fruit in a direction facing your face or body so you don't risk missing and hurting yourself. This hack will work for practically any stone fruit, like peaches and apricots, but you should avoid attempting it with smaller varieties like cherries, dates, and lychees. You could accidentally nick your fingers since there's less room for error, and the pliers may go through too much of the small fruit.
With the proper technique, this hack can be a huge timesaver, especially if you're cooking something that requires you to slice up a large quantity of stone fruit, like a peach cobbler. So add a pair of needle nose pliers to your kitchen arsenal, and never struggle with removing stone fruit pits again.