How to Pit Olives

Olives are a delicious treat and come in countless varieties, shapes and sizes. They do contain a pesky pit, however, which must be removed before using them in recipes. The task is fairly easy with black olives, but a bit more difficult with the green variety of olive.

Things You'll Need

• Olives
• Cutting board
• Chef's knife
• Paring knife
• Meat mallet

Instructions

1. Pick up an olive and squeeze it between your thumb and forefinger. Depending on the firmness of your olive, the pit may pop out. This method will work with larger black olives or olives with a softer flesh.

2. Spread your olives out on a cutting board if you cannot squeeze the pit out of them. Place the blade of a large chef's knife flat on top of the olives. Place the palm of your hand on the blade of the knife and press down hard. The flesh of the olives should slide off the pits. If you have a stubborn olive that still doesn't release, move to Step 3.

3. Take a paring knife and slice all the way around the olive. Then pull the pit out.

4. Use a meat mallet for very stubborn olives. Smash the olive with a meat mallet and the pit should pop out.