Harvest cherries and berries!
Cherries
Cherry pits need to be removed. Small tart cherries are wrecked in a pitter, but my grandmother and mother taught me to use the best tool in the world for pitting: a small paper clip. Faster and neater, a paper clip will scoop out the pit with surgical accuracy.
Berries
Berries should be washed and trimmed of greens and stems before freezing. Berries will last in your fridge up to a week as you are picking, but then be sure to freeze or preserve. Not enough of one kind for a pie or preserve recipe? Mix them together! Mixed berry pies and jams are the best and their flavors will reflect the strongest summer flavors as berries ripen throughout the summer. Only have a handful because you ate them all while picking? Throw them in a bottle of vodka or other clear alcohol - it adds a great flavor to mixed drinks.
