It is very important to cool your cherries before pitting.  The firmer the cherry, the less mess and easier the pitting.  Remove about five pounds (1/2 pail) from the refrigerator or cooler at a time for pitting.  Put them in a strainer and rinse them off.  You will need two containers; one for pits and one for pitted cherries.

Grab a handful of cherries and with thumb and index finger, work the cherry so stem side is showing. 

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