A corer is a kitchen tool designed to remove the core from fruits, especially apples and pears. The core is the tough, seed-filled center that you don't want to eat.

An apple corer looks like a tube with a sharp circular edge and a handle. You push it straight down through the center of the apple, and when you pull it back out, it brings the core with it, leaving a clean tunnel through the middle. This makes it much easier to slice the apple into rings or prepare it for baking. Some corers remove the core while also slicing the apple into wedges.

Before corers were invented, people had to carefully cut around the core with a knife, which took more time and skill. Now you can core an apple in seconds. Bakers use corers when making dishes like apple pie or baked apples, where you want the fruit intact but without the hard, seedy center. Some corers also work for pineapples, which have a much tougher core running through the center.