Putting the final touches on your Passover seder menu? Don’t forget one of the most important, and easiest, dishes: the haroset.
Haroset symbolizes the mortar used by the slaves in Egypt, and so it’s not only a tasty part of the seder, it’s a pretty important part of the Passover story as well.
There are dozens of ways to make haroset, and different Jewish communities from around the world all have their own version. But today we are going to focus on one of the most popular ways that North American Jews enjoy haroset, and that is the apple, walnut, cinnamon and sweet wine version that many of us know from our childhood and beyond.
After spending time with my own 90 year old grandmother and talking haroset, I learned she never even made hers: Her dear friend Clare, of blessed memory, used to make a large enough batch for both families. (Note: Clare was a much better cook than my grandmother. So, thanks Clare.)
We based our version on this classic recipe from Claudia Roden. But here is another version I like to make with candied walnuts, pomegranate juice and pomegranate seeds.
seder
Pronounced: SAY-der, Origin: Hebrew, literally “order”; usually used to describe the ceremonial meal and telling of the Passover story on the first two nights of Passover. (In Israel, Jews have a seder only on the first night of Passover.)
