It's usually served at the Passover seder but we love it so much I make a huge batch and we eat it the entire 8 days.

The kids beg for it at other times of the year but I'm a mean mommy (who wants to maintain the traditions of the holidays) so they only get it on Passover.

Traditionally it's eaten on Matzah but I suppose any crackers will do.

Best with horseradish!

Horseradish on or incorporated?

It's a ritual food used in the Passover seder. Jews in/from different parts of the world make it with different ingredients -- apples in Europe, dates in Arab countries, etc.; there is no required recipe -- but it is necessary. I'm surprised that the magazine didn't say that!

The idea (or so I was taught, anyway) is that the texture is supposed to be like the mortar the Hebrew slaves used in Egypt, but the taste is sweet like freedom. Lindac is right; you eat it with the horseradish (bitter like slavery).

We all like it, too, so I make extra as well -- but only at Passover, too. We make it a lot like that recipe, but with walnuts instead of almonds and no honey. And we never measure the ingredients, so I have no idea if the proportions are the same.

Mmmmmmmm. As a kid, Charoseth (the way we spelled/pronounced it...dunno why) was one of my favorite parts of Passover.

We minced green and red delicious apples with walnuts, mixed them with honey, red wine and cinnamon. Nowadays, I make it with pecans, since walnuts give me a rash. But I still like it with a bit of horseradish on a matzoh or cracker. It's also wonderful as an addition to any meat sandwich (yes, even ham :0 ) or as a condiment to go with roast meats. Sometimes I get to mixing cuisines and spice it up with a bit of serrano, cayenne or szechuan pepper.

I have been known to mix a generous dollop of it into potato salad or eat it on an English muffin or bagel topped with cream cheese.

Oh boy...I just realized that I have all the ingredients on hand...

But the best way is the Hillel sandwich...

We use granny smiths and pecans, sweet wine (Manischewitz) and cinnamon. Lots. Of wine and cinnamon.

Make it the day before serving. Put cut up apples and pecans (about equal proportion, maybe a little more apple) on a large chopping board, wet thoroughly with wine. Fling ground cinnamon all over. Use a really big knife (10" chef's or bigger)--oh, or if you're not feeding mobs I guess a regular chef's knife will do--to chop chop chop it with a rocking action, always bringing back to a center mound. Wet it some more and fling more cinnamon. Chop chop chop it some more.

You can also use a chopping bowl and a two handled chopper (and read the story of Ktantan), but most people don't have them. It takes a lot of shoulder action to chop it all fine, to about minced. Do not use a food processor. It makes the apple mushy and doesn't work the wine into the cuts in the same way.

Put all the charoset into a container and fill to covered with wine. About 10 hours later, stir and add more wine if necessary (the apples soak it up).

Rachelellen, I believe "charoseth" is the old style transliteration. The "th" at the end is the same soft tav that Ashkenazies pronounce as "s".

pllog, that makes sense about the spelling...I got it from my mother, who would have gotten it from her mother in law (my brother's grandma) who was from Lithuania.

plllog: Thanks for the correct way of "doing things." It looks like a lot of work, but I bet tastes wonderful in the end.

gelchom: The article did tell all about Haroset's history and necessity at Seder.

I'm adding all these extra instructions and comments to the original recipe for future reference.

Ours seder, done in (gasp) "passover style" always includes haroset. (as kids, we always said "ha-roses". My parents use Gracie Market in NYC, and the food is always great. Now, if we could only get my father to order more. As he ages, he uses his appetite to determine the appetites of others. His father did the same, I think. Growing up, we always knew we would be hungry later.

Jo

done in (gasp) "passover style"

What does that mean?

I wonder...would it work to use a extra-coarse Microplane on the apples? It shouldn't mush them up, and it would probably keep the carpel tunnel to a minimum. :)

It really does sound yummy.

Passover style means the food is traditional, but not prepared in a kosher kitchen.

Jo

Bean, I wouldn't use a ribbon grater. Does Microplane have one like a coarse cheese grater? You could try it. I've had charoset made with an old fashioned box grater where the apple was an appropriate size but very mushy. And it didn't soak up the wine the same way. I think a spring chopper would work better. It wouldn't get good for arthritis, but might be okay for carpel tunnel syndrome. I think I did that once and thought it was easier to use a knife, but then I'm making a lot at once.

plllog-- I am interested in the huge amount of wine. Do you find you have inebriated three year olds? I use Mimi Sheraton's "My Mother's Kitchen" recipe and it is wine by the tablespoon until moist plus a little right before serving. Seriously, that's a lot of wine. Is there any advantage?

I do use the food processor; if you pulse the ingredients carefully, it works, at least for me.

The advantage is that it's yummy! The wine sweetens it instead of honey. I suppose a lot of it comes down to which costs more. My great-grandfather used to make the wine, so I suppose that's why my father learned it that way.

We don't give it to three year olds by the bowl. They usually only eat a spoonful. It's more grapey and sweet than alcoholic. A lot of the wine stays behind with apple juice when you dish it up, so I think more flavor gets in than actual alcohol. The no food processor was for our particular recipe (yes, what I posted above is what passes for a recipe around here!). It doesn't come out right. But it wasn't a condemnation of all food processors for all charoset! (I could go there about hummus or guacamole though...)

Getting in on this discussion a little late but I thought I'd post my recipe for Haroset. Actually, my grandmother's. My mother learned it from her MIL (my grandmother) when she was newly married back in Egypt. It's made of dates and raisins and it's IMHO delicious. My mother used to have to wrench it from our hands in order to keep us from filling up on it when she was getting ready to serve dinner.

This stuff really looks like mortar and probably COULD hold bricks together! LOL These instructions are my interpretation of the recipe which my mother made before my eyes so I could write it all down - she worked without a written recipe of course. She also did not use (or own) a food processor. She used a hand grinder which I still have. It looks something like this:

{{gwi:1507627}}

Although the apple recipe is far more common in these parts, I'd never even heard of the idea of making Haroset with apples till I was an adult. The apple kind is good but would never hold bricks together LOL!!!

HAROSET

1 lb dates
1 lb raisins
1 Tbsp sugar
½ cup kosher for Passover red wine
chopped walnuts
cinnamon

Soak dates and raisins in water for 15 minutes. Drain. Rinse. Put in pot, cover with water (barely covered). Heat to boiling. Simmer on medium 20 minutes. Drain. Put in food processor. Add ½ cup water & sugar. Heat on low 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Add wine and nuts. Simmer another 15-20 minutes. Put in bowls and top with nuts and cinnamon. Refrigerate.

Oh, cool!!! THANKS, Lowspark!! I've had really bad erzatz versions. It's much nicer to have the real thing!

My friend makes a great one with avocado, almonds and dried apricots or figs.

You're welcome! LMK how you like it if you make it. I've definitely seen lots of recipes with what I might call "exotic" ingredients such as avacados but never tried any. It would be too weird to serve them at the seder but maybe I should make one for later in the holiday, just for fun!