The Tastiest Way To Use Cherry Pits Before You Discard Them

Cherries are one of America's most popular fruits. According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, the average person eats more than 2 pounds of this shiny, red fruit every year. The secret to the cherry's popularity lies in its sweet, slightly sour flavor, which can be enjoyed in a number of different forms, including fresh, frozen, dried, and juiced. Despite its widespread adoration, little attention is ever given to the cherry pit. And while we'd strongly advise against eating this rock hard shell, which protects the seed at the fruit's center (you can get the full story here on what happens if you accidentally swallow a cherry pit here), it can, in fact, be safely used to infuse other ingredients — like whipped cream.

This simple act will impart a subtle cherry flavor and delicate pink hue to the neutral profile of the cream. It pairs perfectly with a long list of desserts. And not only that — it's also an excellent way of giving food waste another life before it's discarded. 

The cherry on top is how easy it is to make this infused cream at home. Simply steep a handful of pits in some cold cream overnight (or for at least four hours) before removing them and whipping the cream as per usual. Delicious, resourceful, and simple — this tip really does tick all the boxes.

Use this whipped cream just as you would the regular variety. Fill and top cakes with it, dollop it onto waffles, layer it into a trifle, pile it onto pancakes, or slather a scoop on a pavlova. Another idea is to double down on the flavor of the fruit itself by serving the cream on or alongside desserts that already showcase cherries. Think classic cherry pie, cherry clafoutis, and cherry cobbler. You could also fold it into ambrosia salad, or spread it over scones alongside cherry jam.

Also consider what other flavors typically go well with this fruit, like coconut, almond, and chocolate. The latter is a particularly good friend to cherry, and can be integrated with the cream to create Black Forest-inspired treats. We personally like the idea of a hot chocolate, milkshake, or mocha drowning in cherry cream, with a little grated chocolate and a literal cherry on top, for good measure.

Desserts featuring fellow stone fruits, like plums, apricots, and peaches, will also go nicely with the whipped cream, as will anything seasonal (Christmas mince pies, Christmas cake, and Christmas pudding, to name but a few). And if none of those ideas quite whet your appetite, you could always take a page out of Japan's book and make a cherry-flavored version of the viral whipped cream sandwich. Yum.