[Sca-cooks] charoset

[Galefridus Peregrinus]

My wife -- Lady Judith bas Rabbi Mendel -- is not a member of this list. 
She has studied charoset recipes pretty thoroughly, albeit Ashkenazi 
ones. I forwarded this discussion to her for comment. Here is what she 
has to say:

"If draining the mixture doesn't work, you could try adding a small 
quantity of matzah cake meal.  It acts sort of like flour, but lumps 
easily so be careful with it.  Since the mixture is used for Passover, 
that is the ingredient that is safe to add.

"You are making a Sephardic recipe, and I'm more familiar with Ashkenzi 
versions of charosis.  In my research on medieval Passover cooking, I've 
come across the charosis balls, but not in the northern and eastern 
European regions I'm studying.  It makes for a nice presentation, and an 
easy way to serve the mixture.

"If you are interested I have 6 Ashkenazi medieval charosis recipes."

-- Galefridus, writing for Lady Judith (mcmendelsohn at optimum.net)


> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2012 21:06:23 -0600
> From: Susan Lin <susanrlin at gmail.com>
> To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
> Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] charoset
> Message-ID:
> 	<CAHkO8TTHT5oPf0qQNJVgsr_2z2yP-7CsyDy3uDLAzgsozp3yKw at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> I have made this before - I used to teach religious school and I made 
> it
> for my 7th graders when I taught:  Jewish Food Traditions.
>
> Did you add the vinegar to the recipe?  It's not supposed to go into 
> the
> charoset but to be sprinkled on top.  If it is too soupy then strain 
> it as
> Guenievre suggested and then add some additional nuts and dates - it 
> should
> be sticky but not soupy.  Then moisten your hands and roll into balls, 
> roll
> in the sugar and put in a dish and sprinkle the vinegar over - it is a 
> very
> interesting taste.
>
> Shoshanah
>
> On Tue, Aug 28, 2012 at 5:41 PM, Suey <lordhunt at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I tried to copy this recipe from Gitlitz and messed it up. I think I 
>> did
>> that by grinding too much.
>>
>> Anyway, now how can I dry it up now?
>>
>> I put the mixture in the frig for the night but when I check it, it 
>> is too
>> liquidy to make balls like truffles.
>> It is so expensive I can't throw it out.
>> How can I dry it up enough to make balls out of the mass and roll 
>> them in
>> powdered sugar?
>> Thanks so much for your advise, I am desperate,
>> Suey
>>
>> A Drizzle of Honey, The Life and Recipes of Spain's Secret Jews,
>> by David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson.
>> St. Martin's Press 1999
>> (I got it from Amazon.com)
>>
>> The title kind of says it all. In honor of upcoming Pesach, 
>> (Passover) here
>> is a charoset recipe.
>> **Diego Diaz Nieto's Haroset Balls** (this recipe is from before 
>> 1594)
>> (makes 15 1" balls)
>>
>> 2 apples cored, and finely diced
>> 6 Tbsp chopped almonds
>> 6 Tbsp chopped dates
>> 6 Tbsp raisins
>> 12 chestnuts, cooked and peeled
>> 3/4 tsp cinamon
>> 3 Tbsp sugar
>> 5 Tbsp white vinegar
>>
>> Place the diced apples, slmonds, dates, raisins, and chestnuts into 
>> an
>> unbreakable bowl. With a potato masher, mash all these ingredients
>> together.*
>>
>> Add cinamon and 1 Tbsp sugar and mix well.
>>
>> Place the remaining sugar in a small bowl.
>>
>> With your fingers, form the charoset mixture into small balls.
>> Roll them in sugar and put them on a plate.
>>
>> Refrigerate until serving.
>>
>> To serve:
>> Arrange the haroset balls on a plate.
>> Spoon the vinegar over them.
>> Let them sit until the vinegar is absorbed
>>
>> * Do not grind to a pulpy paste or they will not hold together
>>
>> A Drizzle of Honey, The Life and Recipes of Spain's Secret Jews,
>> by David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson.
>> St. Martin's Press 1999
>> (I got it from Amazon.com)
>>
>> The title kind of says it all. In honor of upcoming Pesach, 
>> (Passover) here
>> is a charoset recipe.
>> **Diego Diaz Nieto's Haroset Balls** (this recipe is from before 
>> 1594)
>> (makes 15 1" balls)
>>
>> 2 apples cored, and finely diced
>> 6 Tbsp chopped almonds
>> 6 Tbsp chopped dates
>> 6 Tbsp raisins
>> 12 chestnuts, cooked and peeled
>> 3/4 tsp cinamon
>> 3 Tbsp sugar
>> 5 Tbsp white vinegar
>>
>> Place the diced apples, slmonds, dates, raisins, and chestnuts into 
>> an
>> unbreakable bowl. With a potato masher, mash all these ingredients
>> together.*
>>
>> Add cinamon and 1 Tbsp sugar and mix well.
>>
>> Place the remaining sugar in a small bowl.
>>
>> With your fingers, form the charoset mixture into small balls.
>> Roll them in sugar and put them on a plate.
>>
>> Refrigerate until serving.
>>
>> To serve:
>> Arrange the haroset balls on a plate.
>> Spoon the vinegar over them.
>> Let them sit until the vinegar is absorbed
>>
>> * Do not grind to a pulpy paste or they will not hold 
>> together****************