Tucsonans share their charoset recipe

We asked members of the “Kosher in Tucson” group on Facebook how they made their charoset on the Passover Seders, as the ingredients vary between communities, family customs and personal taste.

Charoset, from the Hebrew “cheres-clay,” is a paste that resembles the mortar and brick made by the Jews when they toiled for Pharaoh in ancient Egypt. It is used to dip the Matzah and maror. Some enjoy it later as a spread and even a yogurt topping.

Here are some of the answers we received:

Aaron Greenberg: Makes about 20 servings;

5 Apples (the kids like Fuji)

1 cup Dates-chopped for sweetness

1 cup of Red Wine (I like it dry)

1.25 cups Walnuts-chopped

2 tsps Cinnamon

Irene Stern Friedman: I mix apples, walnuts, a small amount of pecans, raisins, cinnamon, sugar, and Manischewitz Concord grape wine or grape juice, depending on who the guests are.

Avi Rovinsky: Apples, ground almonds, Kedem wine and cinnamon.

Deb Siegel: I add dried apricots to step outside of the box.

Madeline Friedman: Apples, walnuts, cinnamon and Manischewitz concord wine - just the way my bubbe made it. It tastes best the second Seder.

Evelyn Sigafus:

I make it the way my mom made it: grated apple, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, a bisel sugar, and red wine/juice. I’m Ashkenazi.

Cathy Libman Olswing: Mix of sweet and tart apples, pecans, sweet red wine, and cinnamon.

Marvin Hankin:

Tart apples, dates, sweet red wine, walnuts, cinnamon, honey, and mashed bananas.

Israel Pickholtz: Apples and walnuts (chopped not mashed), cinnamon and kiddush wine.

Hallie Bongar White: We add a bisselah honey to the chopped apples, red wine, dates and walnuts (or pecans).

Lisa Schachter-Brooks: I do dates, figs, apricots, raisins and toasted almonds and pecans with a tiny bit of juice to get it mixing.

Robyn Schwager: Dried fruit (whatever you can find kosher for Passover), nuts (your favorite ones) and honey.

Phyllis Braun: I make a Persian version with dried fruits including apricots and dates, several types of nuts, apple, pear, orange, fresh ginger, cinnamon and a bit of juice.