Pitting Party

Not to be confused with a pity party, because this was definitely NOT a pity party!

Yesterday Reynald and I picked the rest of the pie cherries.  It was forecast to be 107 degrees so I was anxious to get the fruit off the tree.  We spent about 2 hours picking and got every last cherry!  When we finished at 10:30 am, it was already 95 degrees.

The forecast held true.  It did indeed reach 107 degrees!  Set all kinds of high heat records, which are not records one would like to set!

This afternoon, my best friend from high school arrived with her two girls.  They live in Maryland, but come to Washington State every few years to visit family and friends.  I told the girls we were going to have a "Pitting Party" today and they looked at me puzzled.  They did a great job of helping to pit the pie cherries, something they haven't ever had the "opportunity" to do!

My mom came out, and between the five of us, we pitted 37 quarts of pie cherries!  They are all safely in the freezer, waiting to be made in to pies.

The Pitting Party crew!!!

Alicia, my mom, Allayna and Amy Jo!  Alicia and Allayna had never pitted cherries before.  They have another experience to add to the farm camp adventure!

Baxter wasn't much help. 

Pitted cherries, ready to be bagged, boxed and frozen.