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Haroseth (Passover Food) Recipe

Haroseth is originally a Middle Eastern food enjoyed as a ritual holiday sweet by Jews around the world as part of the Passover Seder. It is usually eaten on matzoth, with a bit of lettuce or horseradish (bitter herbs). It requires no cooking and is a great food for kids to prepare - just for fun. All the recipes are simple variations of chopped fruit, nuts, wine, honey or sugar and different spices. Grape juice may be substituted for wine.

The collection of recipes below show how the tradition was kept and tranmited to Jews around the world.

Warning - Haroseth may be habit forming and is rather fattening. A diabetic recipe is included at the end.  More  Middle East Recipes

Click to learn more about the Passover Seder


Simple European Haroseth

Ingredients

6 peeled apples
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
3 tbs. honey
3 tbs. sweet red wine

Ingredients

Shred apples, add chopped walnuts, honey, and wine. Combine all, mixing thoroughly.


American Haroset
Ingredients
6 large apples
About 2 tbsps. sugar depending on size and tartness of apples.
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. sweet wine
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Preparation

Core and quarter the apples. Put the apples in a food processor
with the remaining ingredients. Process in pulses, leaving a bit
of a crunch to the mixture. Adjust seasoning. Yield: about 5 cups.
Variations - use sherry instead of sweet wine, experiment with brown sugar instead of white sugar.


Gourmet Haroseth

Ingredients
1/2 pound of walnuts
1/4 pound of diced apricots
1/4 pound of diced prunes, pitted
1/4 pound of pitted dates
3 whole apples, peeled, cored & quartered
1 large unpeeled, seedless orange, quartered
1/2 cup of sweet wine, red
1/8 cup of Passover Brandy
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of cloves
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 tablespoon of lime juice
2 tablespoons of matzo meal or as needed
 

Preparation

Using the steel blade of the food processor, chop the first 6 ingredients very fine (but not to a paste). May be done in batches if necessary.
Add the wine, brandy, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and lime juice. If necessary add matzo meal to make mortar like consistency. Makes 6 cups.


Turkey

Ingredients

1 cup black raisins
1 pound dates (non-pitted) or equivalent seeded.
1 cup figs
1 apple
1 cup sweet red wine

Preparation

Seed the dates if necessary. Clean the figs and peel and cut the apple in cubes. Grind all the fruits together. Add the wine and mix well .


Maghreb

Ingredients

1/4 cup raisins
1 pound dates pitted
1/2 pound chopped walnuts
1/2 cup red wine (sweet)

Preparation

Grind raisins and dates, then add the wine and chopped walnuts and mix well.
 


Bukhara

Ingredients
1 cup walnuts
1 cup raisins
1 large apple
1/2 cup red wine
 

Preparation
Peel and cut the apple in cubes. Grind all the items but not too fine. Add the wine and mix well .


Holland
Ingredients
1 cup raisins
1 cup almonds
1 large apple
A pinch of cinnamon
1 cup red wine (semi-dry)

Preparation
Peel and cut the apple in cubes. Grind the fruits and nuts. Add the spices and wine and mix well

Variation - Jews in Dutch Surinam add 1 tablespoon of ground coconut.


Yemen

Ingredients

1/2 lb (about 225 grams) Pitted dates
1/4 lb (about 110 grams) Raisins
4 Figs, dried
1 1/2 cup Sweet wine
1/4 lb (about 110 grams)  Walnuts
1/4 lb (about 110 grams)  Almonds
2 tb Sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon  Ginger, ground
1/2 teaspoon  Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon  Cardamon
 

Preparation

Place fruits in food processor or blender. Finely chop. Add 1/2 cup of the
wine. Mix again, at low speed. Add remaining ingredients and mix at low
speed until nearly smooth.


Diabetic Haroseth

Ingredients:
4 ounces (110 g) dried pitted prunes
4 ounces (110 g) pitted dates
2 ounces (56 grams) blanched slivered almonds
3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
1 large Navel orange, quartered
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup kosher sweet red wine such as Manischewitz
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
about 2 tablespoons (24 g) matzah meal

Preparation

Finely chop the apricots, prunes, dates, almonds, apples, orange, and ginger by hand or using a food processor.
Do not allow the mixture to become a paste.

Add the wine, honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Mix again or pulse the food processor. Transfer to a bowl and, if necessary, add matzah meal to make a mortarlike consistency.


More  Middle East Recipes

The Virtual Middle Eastern Cookbook by Sabrina Toma includes both great recipes and pictures of the author's original oil paintings.

Food from the Arab World by MARIE KARAM KHAYAT and MARGARET CLARK KEATING is a complete cookbook of Lebanese (mostly) recipes. 

 

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