Comments on: best haroset?

Question: best haroset?

pinto — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:18:23 -0800

What's your best haroset recipe? Happy Pesach!

By: metahawk

metahawk — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:23:41 -0800

Classic and simple:
Chopped apples (core removed, skin optional)
roughly chopped walnuts
raisins
Manishevitz wine
cinnamon

1/2 apple per person is enough for Seder, a whole apple pp gives you leftovers for several days (unless my brother lives at your house). I like Fujis - sweet, good flavor, better texture than the delicious.
The rest of the quantities depend on your preference - it helps if you have an idea how you think it should taste. Remember you can always add more so toss some in, taste and then add.
Also, you should let it sit, stirring occasionally so the wine gets absorbed by the apples - you don't really want much wine left at the bottom of the bowl.

By: sneakin

sneakin — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:27:17 -0800

-Lots of granny smith apples--a must for the tartness
-walnuts
-raisins
-honey
-cinnamon

Blend it all in a Cuisinart--not too fine though. Start with the apples and then add stuff because they're so bulky. Add honey little by little, you don't want it too tart. Add a nice amount of lemon juice at the end so it keeps its color (more or less, although browning is nice and mortar-esque!)

By: sneakin

sneakin — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:29:30 -0800

Holy god, I'm sorry about the above, it's a train wreck. I meant to say to add the honey little by little because you don't want it too sweet. And chop the apples first because they're so bulky that you can't really blend the ingredients until you chop them up a bit. Sorry about that! And I previewed!

By: sneakin

sneakin — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:31:08 -0800

And btw, I think that with any charoses recipe you should skin the apples but not completely. For some varieties of apple, the skin adds fantastic flavor. Just don't use completely bald apples is all.

By: Araucaria

Araucaria — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:56:29 -0800

There's a sephardic recipe that uses pureed dates with crushed or chopped walnuts on top, not mixed. Boil the dates with a little water, strain. That's it, pretty much.

By: thinkingwoman

thinkingwoman — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:19:09 -0800

i'm going to try a sephardic (ish) recipe of my own devising that will include peeled apples, dates, figs, currants, toasted walnuts, honey, and sweet wine. i think i'll grind it into a rough paste. i may put some orange zest in there if i remember to get to the store and pick up an orange. :)

By: thinkingwoman

thinkingwoman — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:19:49 -0800

fwiw, if you start with good ingredients, the only way you can really go wrong is if it's too chunky or too watery.

By: computech_apolloniajames

computech_apolloniajames — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:45:39 -0800

I've made a Yemenite haroset for seder with the in-laws. You can find the recipe here.

By: expialidocious

expialidocious — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:05:28 -0800

Moroccan haroset: 1 pound pitted dates, 2 cups chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup sweet wine. Process them all together in a food processor until they become a paste. Roll into 1 inch balls.

Algerian haroset: 1-3/4 cup chopped pitted dates, 1-3/4 cup chopped dried figs, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg, 2 tbsp powdered sugar. Again, process everything together into a paste and roll into balls.

Both are from Joyce Goldstein's Saffron Shores: Jewish Cooking of the Southern Mediterranean.

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:51:05 -0800

Balls? Weird. I've never seen such a thing. How do you make a Hillel Sandwich with that?

By: chesty_a_arthur

chesty_a_arthur — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 05:36:08 -0800

This is one of the strangest ones I've ever seen but it's a hit year after year. California Haroset. I assume it's called "California" because of the avocados but I think the title gives it a nice 70s-alfalfa-sprout-swinger flavor. For added hilarity, refer to it repeatedly as "Hotel California Haroset", especially after the third cup of wine.

By: mumkin

mumkin — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:12:39 -0800

Oy, I missed this one, and it's a bit late now. Well, for posterity, here's the sephardic haroset that I usually make. Don't recall when or where I cribbed it from, as it's an ancient text file that I keep moving from drive to drive. It's really delicious...I make pb&h sandwiches with the leftovers, when there are leftovers. :

A Greco-Yemeni Haroset
makes about 4 cups

1 cup pomegranate juice

1 1/2 cup dried figs
1 1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup currants
2 Granny Smith apples

1 cup almonds
1 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup sesame seeds

4 large pinches each of:
black pepper
ground cayenne
ground cinnamon
ground cloves
ground cardamom
ground cumin
ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and begin warming the pomegranate juice in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat.

2. Chop the figs and apricots and add them, with the currants, to the saucepan. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half and fruit has softened.

3. Spread the almonds, walnuts and sesame seeds on a cookie sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes. Watch them closely! You oven may differ, and there's a fine line between toasting and burning :)

4. Peel, core and coarsely chop the apples.

5. Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender and pulse until a mortar-like consistency is achieved.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.