A traditional Passover Seder plate always includes a charoset recipe. 

Charoset comes in many different variations, but is based in apples, dried fruit, nuts and sometimes (and whole-heartedly welcomed) wine. It’s a delicious and hearty way to fill up without going overboard. Many charoset recipes call for sugar, but rest assured that the following charoset recipe does not!

You can mince, dice, chop or grate the apples to reach the consistency you want and can keep the mixture less rough by pureeing all the ingredients together so that they reach a paste-like consistency worthy to spread. However you enjoy this charoset recipe, eat it as such. I like to keep mine chunky so I can appreciate each ingredient as I munch.

Sugar-Free Charoset

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 large red apples (any variety), peeled and diced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup pistachios
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup Kosher sweet red wine
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve. Eat with matzah.

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Even if you don’t practice Judaism or Jewish at all, you’ve most certainly encountered the term “kosher.” But do you have any idea what that means?

Kosher describes food that meets the standards outlined by Jewish law. Here, we break it down for you so you can get a feel for what that often-seen term actually means.

The body of law that governs foods that Jews can and cannot eat is called kashrut, and kosher is used to describe food that meets such standards. Kosher dietary laws are meant to be followed year-round, not just during Passover, although there more dietary restrictions during Passover.

The rules that determine whether a food is kosher or not are quite complicated, but here is a list of 7 general concepts that mostly apply to eating animals. Check them out and up your kosher game!

1. Some animals are not allowed to be eaten

Kosher animal foods include any animal that has cloven hooves and chews its cud, such as cattle, sheep, goats, deer and bison. Rodents, reptiles, amphibians and insects (there are a few exceptions) are forbidden.

As for marine animals, you may consume anything that has fins and scales, making lobsters, oysters, shrimp, clams and crabs forbidden and fish like tuna, carp, salmon and herring permitted.

Kosher birds include mostly prey or scavengers as well as chicken, geese, ducks and turkeys.

2. Kosher animals must be slaughtered in accordance with Jewish law

Animals that have died of natural causes or that were killed by other animals are forbidden for consumption. Animals that are permitted for consumption should have no disease or flaws in their organs at the time of slaughter, although this rule only applies to flocks and hens and does not apply to fish.

In Jewish law, the person who slaughters is called a shochet and kills animals with a quick, deep stroke across the throat. This is considered a painless, instant and most humane form of death for the slaughtered animal.

3. Blood must be drained

Before consumption, all the blood from the animal must be drained, as the Torah deems the blood of the animal to hold the life and soul of the animal. This does not apply to fish.

4. Fats and nerves are forbidden

The sciatic nerve and adjoining blood vessels of an animal are forbidden for consumption. The fat surrounding vital organs and the liver are also not allowed to be consumed.

5. Fruits and vegetables are allowed

All fruits and vegetables are considered kosher. However, bugs and worms found in some fruits and vegetables are not kosher.

6. Meat and dairy go separately

The Torah tells not to “boil a kid in its mother’s milk”, thus making meat and dairy, when consumed together, not kosher. This has been extended to milk and poultry pairings. It is often considered unhealthy to pair meat and fish together. However, it is allowed to eat fish and dairy together or dairy and eggs together.

7. Proper utensils should be used

All kitchen cooking utensils and eating utensils are kosher if used properly. Every time you cook something in one pan, the next time it is used, the previous cooked food will transfer itself to the next food cooked in the same pan. If you cook meat in one pan, the pan attains meat status and thus cannot be used to cook, say, cheese for the next meal. Additionally, utensils can pass on this same rule with the presence of heat. Cold food and utensils do not transfer previous meal’s status to the next, but the presence of heat does. If you eat a hot meat dish on a plate, the plate gets meat status and thus cannot be used later to eat cheese off of.

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The post 7 Rules to Eating Kosher Foods appeared first on EcoSalon.