Honey Fermented Charoset

For this recipe with beginners' notes and explanatory photos, it may also be viewed at https://insaneinthebrine.com/honey-fermented-charoset/

You will need: Knife & cutting board (or food processor); measuring spoons; half gallon mason jar; plastic lid (preferable to metal); wooden spoon; mixing/serving bowl to combine nuts with charoset; suggested: canning funnel

Ingredients:

• 3 medium apples, finely diced (Granny Smith or other sour apples provide a good contrast to the sweetness; on the other hand, I used Opal apples which are extremely sweet and crisp) ~500g before cored
• 1/3 lb. dried figs, finely diced
• 1/3 lb. dried apricots, finely diced
• 1/3 lb. pitted dates, finely diced
• 1 chunk ginger, finely grated (~30g)
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6-7 ground cloves (1/4 tsp)
• 1/4 cup pomegranate juice or red Passover wine (or half and half, i.e. 2 TBSP of each)
• 2 lbs. or more unpasteurized honey; (I used 36 oz., slightly over 2 lbs.)
• ~6-8 oz. nuts, chopped (I used pistachio but walnut, pecan, cashew, or a mix are all recommended); add when ferment is refrigerated
• Optional: 2 TBSP date syrup
• Optional: for charoset with a little kick, add 1 tsp cayenne powder

Directions:

1.) Wash the apples and then finely dice. Cutting by hand will give the best consistency, but if for time sake you use a food processor, just be careful not to go too thin, resulting in a mushy charoset.

2.) Process the rest of the ingredients as described above. Mix all ingredients in a bowl together. The cinnamon sticks can be placed in as well (they will be removed when you refrigerate the ferment later on).

3.) Place a couple handfuls of the mixture into the jar, followed by some of the honey. This will speed up the honey coating everything. (Alternately, it’s fine to put in all the fruit mix first, then add all the honey, it will just take some time for the honey to sink down and cover everything.)

4.) Cover with a lid. Each day, stir the mix thoroughly with the wooden spoon. Alternately, you can turn the jar upside down every day. Especially with this method, placing the jar inside a bowl or on a towel is recommended, as small amounts of the honey will typically escape the lid.

5.) Over the first several hours, you will notice the honey becomes much more watery. This is due to the honey pulling moisture from the produce, especially the apples and ginger.

You may also notice bubbling in the honey as the days pass. If you are turning the jar upside down (rather than stirring), you can “burp” the jar every few days (allow some built up gases to escape). This is all a sign of a normal, healthy ferment.

Final Preparation: Prior to serving (e.g. earlier that day or the day before), it is recommended to separate the honey liquid from the fruit mix (using a mesh strainer). As noted above, make sure to save this liquid gold for its many uses! If you want to present the charoset as it would normally be served, it wouldn’t come in a lake of 2+ pounds of honey! (Maybe it should?) So I really recommend straining it out. Once the excess honey liquid is separated away, you should then add your chopped nuts to the charoset and mix well. Keep covered and refrigerated until serving time.

https://preview.redd.it/tezlyq9bbxi41.jpg?width=1252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ebbfee62341c0211fbd214df96d98ca3d20f6450

bon appetit