This is a combination of Sephardic, Near Eastern, Middle-Eastern and Israeli recipes. This is a large recipe — about 8 cups/2 quarts — but halving all ingredients amounts works fine. As it freezes — and thaws — nicely, it’s a good idea to freeze leftovers as the fruit relish goes bad after a couple of days. Then it can be enjoyed later in the eight days of the Jewish holiday.
Adaptation of Israeli Haroseth, Egyptian Haroseth Ashkenazic Charoset recipes from 1983 and 1984 articles in the Dallas Times Herald, which ceased in 1991.
- 2-3 cups loose (not packed) dried, pitted fruit, perhaps 1 cup figs, 1 cup dates and 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup wine or grape juice
- 1 cup nuts, such as walnuts, pecans and sunflower seeds, or a mix
- 2 oranges, washed
- 2-4 apples, depending on size
- 2-4 bananas, ripe but still firm
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- Chop dried fruit into raisin-size pieces. Plump with wine or grape juice in bowl for 15-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Zest orange. Mince zest and add to large bowl. Peel oranges. Dice and add to bowl.
- Core apples, peel if desired, dice and add to bowl. Stir with oranges to prevent apples browning.
- Peel and dice 2 bananas, add to bowl.
- Chop nuts that need chopping to raisin-size pieces and add to bowl.
- Stir in cinnamon. Stir in rehydrated dried fruits along with their soaking liquid. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour for flavors to marry. Stir and taste, add another chopped banana or two to sweeten if needed.
Note: I’d advise against hard nuts such as almonds. Nutmeats here should be more a soft chew than crunchy or crumbly.
