I have cherry pits on the ground in my backyard, still some cherries on the tree, and some fat and sassy birds and squirrels in the neighborhood. I'm not interested to make this this year, but I think it's an interesting idea.
Making a cherry pit heating pad can save you a lot of discomfort during cold
nights. After all, the unheated bedroom is no longer just a thing of the past.
Getting under the covers can be a chilly proposition now that more people are
heating their homes with wood and relying less on central heating systems.
Children in Switzerland have long been accustomed to a certain household ritual
on winter evenings:
A cherrystone pillow for each family member is popped into the kitchen's warming
oven, and they retrieve a pillow on their way to bed. The bed warmers work
wonderfully for taking the chill off cool sheets in unheated bedrooms.
Cherry pit heating pads could be the perfect bed and foot warmer. With three
times the heating capacity of pebbles, and a much lower conductivity, cherry
pits provide steady warmth for winter nights. With a little faithful collecting,
a bit of scrap fabric, and a Sunday afternoons time, one of these bed warmers
could save you many nights of cold-cover shivers.
Collect, Clean and Dry Your Cherry Pits
It takes about 15 pies' worth of cherry pits to make one pillow. If your family
doesn't consume a large amount of cherries, you may want to head to a cannery,
where you can get pounds of pits for pennies. Cherrystones must be thoroughly
cleaned and dried before they can be sewn into pillows.
First, place the pits in a large pan or in the kitchen sink and cover completely
with cold water. Then rub and squeeze the stones together to loosen any
remaining pulp. When that's done, rinse and repeat the process several times.
Once the cherry pits look clean, simmer them in a pot of water � stirring
occasionally � for about 15 minutes. Then dump the cooked stones into a sinkful
of cold water and rub them again. Rinse the cherry pits a few more times (it's
absolutely essential to remove all the pulp) before draining and placing them on
clean dish towels to dry. You can finish the dehydration process by spreading
the pits in one layer across a shallow pan and baking them in a warm oven.
Stir them now and then so they'll dry thoroughly. The pits will be evenly
colored when "done" and can then be stored indefinitely in jars, plastic bags or
paper sacks until you're ready to make your bed warmers. (The last are the best
choice, because they'll absorb any moisture to that may still be present.)
To make the pillowcases, use a sturdy material, such as denim, sailcloth, or
drapery fabric. (Avoid any kind of synthetic material that might melt when
exposed to heat.)
Cut two rectangles measuring 8-by-11 inches or use a single 16-by-11-inch piece.
Put the pieces together face to face � or fold the double-size rectangle in half
� and stitch around the edges, leaving an opening large enough to let you turn
the bag right side out. Finally, fill the sack with the dried cherrystones
(keeping it loosely packed) and sew up the hole. You're ready for the next nippy
night. To use your cherry pit heating pad, begin by heating the pillow in either
an oven set to a very low temperature, in front of the fireplace or over a
woodstove. With any of these methods, take care that the warmers are not exposed
directly to a glowing oven element or an open flame that might ignite the
fabric. When your cushion is toasty warm, take it immediately to your bedroom
and place in bed between the cold sheets. By the time you're ready to turn in,
your bedding temperature should be just about right.
__________________ "We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." ~Immanual Kant~
a good old red hot water bottle works as well... without all the work. Just fill with hot tap water...its often still warm in the morning.
You're probably right Arrow, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I bought one of those rice filled neck cushions once. Couldn't really get it hot enough to please me, ended up warming it in the microwave too long, until it started to smoke and catch fire. What a stink! It sat in a bucket of water on the porch for a couple of days, until I took the trouble to throw it out.
I have to agree with Arrow on this one - hot water bottle is best! It would
take me 5+ years to eat enough cherries for their pits for a pillow.
Interesting idea though!
__________________
May you always have..Love to Share, Health to Spare, and Friends that Care!
Cherry Pit Heating Pad
I'm not interested to make this this year, but I think it's an interesting idea.
I bought one of those rice filled neck cushions once. Couldn't really get it hot enough to please me, ended up warming it in the microwave too long, until it started to smoke and catch fire. What a stink! 
It sat in a bucket of water on the porch for a couple of days, until I took the trouble to throw it out. 
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