Pomegranate Charoset Recipe
Beth LeePomegranate charoset (haroset), a classic Passover seder staple, marries the classic fresh apples of an Ashkenazic version with the dried fruits and nuts found so often in Sephardic recipes. The pomegranate molasses and juice replace the wine and add a beautiful color and depth of flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 crisp apple medium to large (about 9 - 12 ounces), peeled, cored, roughly chopped
- Juice of a ¼ lemon
- 1 cup of unsalted nuts toasted (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or pecans - pick two)
- ½ cup of dried dates and figs I used deglet noor dates but medjool would be delish
- ½ cup of dried cherries/prunes/apricots/dark or golden raisins I love the tartness of the cherries but also liked a prune and apricot combo - so have fun with this!
- ¼ cup pomegranate juice
- ¼ cup pomegranate molasses
- ¼ cup honey or date syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 - 2 teaspoons orange zest zest of about a medium orange
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Soak dried fruit
- Combine the pomegranate juice and molasses, honey, cinnamon and orange zest in a bowl or measuring cup large enough to hold the dried fruit and liquid.
- Heat the liquid in the microwave for about 30 seconds just to warm it. Give it a whisk.
- Add the dried fruit into the warmed liquid and let it soak for about 15 minutes. Soaking the fruit will help with any dryness as well as infuse the fruit with more flavor.
Prep apple(s) and nuts
- While the dried fruit soaks, peel, core and chop the apple and spritz with the lemon wedge.
- Toast the nuts if not already toasted. My method is to lay them on a foil-lined tray and bake for about 4-5 minutes in a toaster oven at 350 - 375°F. No toaster oven? Use the regular oven. And set a timer - nuts go from perfectly toasted to burnt quickly!
Make the charoset
- Drain the dried fruit, reserving the soaking liquid. Put the dried fruit in the food processor and pulse about 10 times. Add the apple and nuts. Pulse about 10 more times. Add the soaking liquid and salt, pulse a few more times. Check the texture and taste for flavor. If you’re happy, stop pulsing.
Serve or store
- Leave out if serving shortly after making it, otherwise, store in the refrigerator. Charoset benefits from some time for the flavors to really blend together. And it should last for at least a week or longer in the refrigerator. Besides its traditional usage on the seder plate and in a Hillel sandwich, charoset makes a great snack all through Passover on matzo and also pairs beautifully with cheese and yogurt!
Notes
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- Some dried fruits are “drier” than others. For example - dried apricots usually feel drier than prunes or dates. Or some of your dried fruit might have been in the pantry longer. That’s why I’m suggesting a first step of soaking or "macerating" them in the recipe.
- Some pieces of the dried fruit may be much larger than others. Chop larger pieces into halves or quarters.
- Toasting the nuts can be done ahead of time.
- Sometimes walnuts or pecans are already chopped. If they are not and you are combining them with nuts that are much smaller, like the pistachios, give them a rough chop. But don't be too concerned -- everything is going into the food processor and different size pieces of nuts add texture and visual interest.
Nutrition
Calories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 240mgFiber: 2gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 232IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
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