How do they remove stones from cherries?

[Goochie]

Whilst making a cherry cake at the weekend, I started to wonder how on earth they remove the stones from the middles without cutting them in half?

I considered some kind of machine that pokes the stones from the middle, but lining it up each time would make it hugely complex.

So how do they do it?

(Google does not help, before anyone suggestes)

[juice]

One of these (Or similar) I'd have thought...

http://www.ashlockco.com/randomcherry.html

Edited by juice on Thursday 23 October 12:36

[bint]

Mass production, I have no idea, but I've manually done it with a cherry de-stoner (there is a proper technical term for the thing but it's flown out of my head at the moment) on fresh cherries.

[sleep envy]

pitting machines

[prand]

Check your utensil drawer! It's quite common to find a garlic press that also has a stone removal tool built in. It can be used for both cherries and olives. It is cup shaped with a pokey thing that pushes the stone out leaving the fruit behind. I've used mine for both olives & cherries in the past and once you get the hang of it, it's quite quick.

Like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-Craft-Aluminium-Ga...

[captainzep]

They put the stones in afterwards.

Spazmo.