Last night I was pitting all the cherries before they went bad and began processing them to put them up. I was doing deep red Ranier cherries, very ripe ones. It was my first go at pitting cherries and I was scattering the juice all over the place before I got the technique down. Fortunately I got it all up off the counter without staining. But my fingers got deeply stained. I took a shower and scrubbed thoroughly, but my hands and worst of all my nails still look filthy even though, apart from cherry pigment, they’re immaculately clean. It was embarrassing that I had to go shopping today and I tried to keep my hands hidden. Trying not to feel like I’m replaying the role of Laura Palmer in the fingernail scene in Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me.
So do any of you Heloises out there know how to get cherry juice stains out? (Need answer ASAP.)
Only monsters hate cherries.
It’s the things we love that hurt us the most.
She didn’t say that she hated them she was pitting them for a reason.
Mmmm, delicious cherries.
I concur with the lemon juice idea but it may be too late for it to be very effective. This is one of those jobs where washing a few times during the process is a good plan.
You might try getting your hands stained with juice again and then doing the lemon juice. What? It works with dry erase markers!
It’ll wear out eventually.
Walk around looking guilty and shout “Out, damn’d spot! Out, I say!”
I’m glad you’re pitting cherries. I love to eat them, but hate getting the pits out. It’s so nice of you to do the job for me! 
The hate starts with Cherries but pretty soon you’re moving on to Prunes and Peaches.
Get help soon.
As for the stains, I concur with lemon juice. You can also try hydrogen peroxide.
Go and buy enough cherries to fill your bathtub up about halfway. Roll yourself in the cherries until the rest of your skin matches your hands.
Make cherry wine.
You’re welcome.
I disagree with all of the MORONS recommending lemon juice, because I would use lime juice!
MORONS! Lemon juice! Sheesh.
Hmm. The Rainier cherries I’ve eaten have always had yellowish flesh/juice rather than red.
Admit it, you just made this up to get sympathy!
Why are cherries so delicious fresh and so horrible in ice cream?!
Yeah, I was wondering about that one. No way anyone is getting stained red by RANIER cherries.
Yeah, I don’t know. Listen, why don’t you send all your cherried ice cream to me and I’ll dispose of it in a safe and humane way.
It’s not just ice cream. Cherries are horrible in any form but fresh (or maybe dried) cherries. Cherry Coke? Cherry 7-Up? Cherry candy? They all taste like maraschinoes. [searches in vain for blech-smiley]
Why would you “put up” rainier cherries? It doesn’t make sense. Eat them. I’m sure preserved rainier cherries are worth eating, but they are worth a small fraction of fresh cherries.
If you want dried or canned or frozen cherries, buy them that way.