We're normally quite adamant about avoiding unitaskers (hello Yonanas!). But from time to time there are exceptions. Strawberry hullers fall into the same camp as cherry pitters: yes, they only do one thing. But they do it so well — if there's room in the tool drawer to sneak one in we will. And if you're getting a strawberry huller, then this Chef'n model is by far the best buy.
There are so many recipes and amazing summery dishes that call for strawberries — sometimes a lot of strawberries. One of my least favorite tasks is cutting off the stems, because it takes quite a bit of time. While it can often be a mind-numbing, almost relaxing, task, sometimes I just want to get the job done quickly.
Of course the strawberry huller is not a tool for everyone. Those with tiny kitchens and those who avoid unitaskers at all costs will pass on by. But this time of year, I think it's super handy. It saves me a good deal of time when removing the stems and tops from strawberries and that is A-OK with me!
This model from Chef'n is fun to use, too. Press the push button and the pointed end of the huller opens up into a claw that grabs the top of the strawberry. It hulls each berry neatly, cleanly, and efficiently, leaving much more fruit behind than when we slice the top out with a paring knife. Its simple design makes it extremely easy to use and it's even dishwasher safe.
Besides its easy time-saving merits, it's also a handy tool for using strawberries in creative ways. I came across a cute recipe for strawberry cups on The Fresh Fridge. Core the strawberries with the huller and fill them with homemade whipped cream and top with blueberries! It's a fun, festive and summery treat that will definitely be a crowd pleaser.
• Find it: Chef'n Strawberry Huller, $7.95 at Williams-Sonoma
Where are you at on the strawberry huller (and for that matter, the cherry/olive pitter)? Do they earn a place in your tool drawer? Or do you stick to paring knives and pastry tips?
Related: Red & Juicy: 15 Sweet Treats with Strawberries
(Images: Williams-Sonoma, The Fresh Fridge)
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@serendipitwaddle it also removes the centre portion of the berry, making it hollow - as opposed to just stem-less.
I have one of these from OXO (maybe?) that was under $5. It's tiny, inexpensive and useful so I'm a fan.
It would probably work on tomatoes, too.
But so does a paring knife.
Huh. Interesting.
Why exactly would one wish to throw up the center of a strawberry on a regular basis? Regular enough to justify this in the kitchen, anyway?
(Also... maybe I just have a dirty mind, but that looks more like a toy than like a kitchen tool. Anyway.)
Ros I like the way you thing ;)
Oops, you got me all flustered.... I mean , think!
I love love love this tool. I used it recently to hull 6 pints of strawberries for jam. Definitely worth the small investment.
i use a tomato shark for tomatoes and strawberries. it's small, precise, efficient, and cheap.
http://tinyurl.com/3sxltcp
Interesting that it leaves more fruit behind than using a paring knife. I'd think that you'd have more control with a knife. I don't usually slice the tops off my strawberries - I stick my knife into the top of the strawberry straight down and right next to the calyx/hull, then guide the knife around the fruit. This also stems and cores at the same time. I think it's pretty quick, though the strawberry huller is probably a bit faster. But even though I prep flats and flats of strawberries, I'm not sure I'm going to get one.
My cherry pitter, however, is a godsend. I never used to can or freeze cherries until I got one. And it's great for cooking with olives too.
I have one and love it, especially great for travel- TSA doesn't seem to mind it in carry on for plane snack.
I use a tomato shark and it works very quickly I just scoop around the hull and pull it out and it removes the stem and hull and my dog loves eating the little strawberry pieces attached to the stem to.
I have the cheapie OXO version too. It's awesome! I don't much care for unitaskers normally---but I LOVE my strawberry huller.
I have a paring knife. I might consider a cherry pitter if I was going through an inordinate amount of cherries or olives, but a strawberry huller? C'mon!
Wow, it seems as though everyone is just slicing the tops off of their strawberries? I pull the leaves off the top of the strawberry, sink a paring knife into the white part at an angle, and twist the berry around until you've cut a circle/cone, and then pop out the middle with the knife. Same exact result as the unitasker and once you know how to do it, probably just as fast.
I have yet to meet someone, however, who can remove a cherry pit from a cherry with just a knife without cutting the cherry in half. So in my mind, cherry pitters are justified, but strawberry hullers? Not so much.
I pull off the stem/leaves by hand and then use a large star piping tip to take out the hull. I think that's an old Alton Brown trick. Not a fan of unitaskers either.
My mother had a serrated knife with a little flip on the pointed end. Perfect for taking off the top of a strawberry, you just stick it in and run it around that base of the stem but it won't slice through the flesh on the sides. I can see how this would work well with mass amounts of berries, your wrist would get sore with the knife. Still, I think I'll stick to the knife for now, even if it is kind of a unitasker in it's own way.