Pesach preps now and Prepping For Year Round on Pesach

Seraph

Sat, Jan 15 2011, 11:38 pm

I was wondering- Pesach is just one week, but theres certain preps that we do before pesach so we have things we need on pesach, and other things we do on pesach so that we have things we need the rest of teh year.

For example, I'm making vinegar for pesach now. You make it with simple ingredients; it just needs to sit for some time, ideally at least 6 weeks, preferably more. I'm putting aside my pineapple peel from tu-bishvat and making kosher lipesach vinegar with it.

I also want to start collecting shmaltz from the butcher to use on pesach; closer to pesach they start charging for it, but now they just toss it in the garbage so they'd give it away free.

Pre-pesach they sell palm oil relatively cheaply (10 shekel a bottle), and being as its one of the few oils I use year round, I plan on buying a whole lot around pesach, enough to last me a whole year. (Last year I bought 10 bottles. I finished my palm oil a few months ago. This year I'm buying 20 bottles.)
My friend with a celiac son stocks up on all the kitniyos noodles pesach time; its much cheaper for her than buying specialty gluten free stuff year round.

What preps do you start well in advance of pesach so you'll have things on pesach? What preps do you do on pesach that you'll have things year round?

Seraph

Sat, Jan 15 2011, 11:49 pm

Liba wrote:

My butcher isn't KLP yet, so I wouldn't use shmaltz from now for Pesach. Did you ask your butcher about the status of his shop?

My butcher only sells plain meat, nothing with chometz in it ever. So its klp year round. And according to my rav anyhow, there's no problem with getting meat for pesach now. If I'm worried, I can wash it off, but thats not even necessary, according to him.

Seraph

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 12:02 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

I do not start preperations for pesach until about a week or two before pesach.
I dont even think about pesach until then. Smile

Lol if I did that, things wouldn't be ready in time for pesach.

My friends husband works in a matza bakery. You betcha he's getting ready for pesach now. Wink

shabbatiscoming

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 12:08 am

Seraph wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

I do not start preperations for pesach until about a week or two before pesach.
I dont even think about pesach until then. Smile

Lol if I did that, things wouldn't be ready in time for pesach.

My friends husband works in a matza bakery. You betcha he's getting ready for pesach now. Wink

right but I buy most ingredients and then make thing (ie: rolls, lasagna, tuna pie, things like that) and so I wait until the stores are KLP and then buy. I also have no room for things until I empty out a few drawers right before the chag, so thats another reason.

shalhevet

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 12:26 am

I hope your family had tough arteries for all that shmaltz and palm oil. (Why do you use it year round, it is really unhealthy?)

I am not going to kasher my kitchen to make things for Pesach now, thanks. If I prepare something (even uncooked) I am going to need somewhere to make it and somewhere to wash the dishes and a dishrag and KLP soap and...

I must say I have occasionally thought of cooking for next Pesach on Isru Chag, leaving everything KLP, and freezing for next year, but I'm not sure how it would taste, or if I want room taken up in my freezer year-round.

bnm

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 12:50 am

when papergoods go on sale by the case after purm I buy cups for pesach. I put away a few packs for pesach then keep the rest out. don't do more than that. I once bought potato starch the day after pesach, they charged us full blown pesach price, so not worth it if you don't have allergies.....

frankly, I tolerate pesach food for 7 days, the 8th day we buy all sorts of store bough and over priced stuff.... who wants pesach for longer than that? we keep pesachdig snacks at home from when the kitchen is cleaned out, thats when the rest of the house is made pesachdig too. I have a toddler who I can't really restrict to just the kitchen cuz that's basically our entire apt. she steps a foot in any direction out of the kitchen with food, I can't freak out too early. so basically, once I get my kichen clean for pesach, rest of house follows. chometz gets put in a box till we buy more. usually this existence is not more than 10 days total anyway.. who needs all the prep now?!??! to be fair, I don't cook much at home for pesach but even if I dd I would do the same preps....

Seraph

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 5:51 am

shalhevet wrote:

I hope your family had tough arteries for all that shmaltz and palm oil. (Why do you use it year round, it is really unhealthy?)

Lets just say that this is absolutely a machlokes. And I'll err on the side of using traditional fats instead of the modern day stuff. And there are definitely studies that prove that these are not as unhealthy as they're made out to be, and rather, that they're the healthiest fats (aside for coconut oil).

Quote:

I am not going to kasher my kitchen to make things for Pesach now, thanks. If I prepare something (even uncooked) I am going to need somewhere to make it and somewhere to wash the dishes and a dishrag and KLP soap and...

Baruch Hashem for my rav then. I just am buying a new glass jar and a new knife and sugar doesn't need a klp hechsher, according to him, and neither does the oregano or hot pepper according to him, and I'll just mix those together with my disposable spoons and set it aside. No kashering necessary. And no KLP soap necessary.

SingALong

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 6:03 am

The only thing I can think of preparing for peach at this point or all year round is cleaning our closets, organizing cabinets, etc. And getting rid of extra junk or unused items lying around the house. So that right before pesach I just need to focus on getting rid of chometz. From the summer till now I did 1 closet a week, or set of draws, etc. Also once something is organized it takes much faster to clean or wipe down right before peach.

rosehill

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 6:13 am

At the supermarket last week, I noticed that a certain brand of coffee was on sale, and that it had a Pesach hechsher on it. So I bought one for now, and one to put away for Pesach. The lady at the checkout packed it with my barley and beans which I thought was funny!!
When I got home, I wrapped one of the jars of coffee in a clean plastic bag, and put it away. I'm curious to see when I do my big Pesach shopping if I'll remember that I bought this, or if I'll end up buying another anyway!!
I'm also waiting for sugar to go on sale, and I'll buy some extra then for Pesach (we also hold that sugar doesn't need a special Pesach hechsher if it's purchased before the Chag, but some brands here have a Pesach hechsher anyway all year 'round).

loveshoes

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 6:15 am

SingALong wrote:

I am with you on this one. During my vacation in Dec, I cleaned out all the junk and extra stuff in the house. Then when its time to clean, all I need to do is clean the chometz and not spring clean. Definitely makes my job so much easier!

geemum

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 3:26 pm

Motse Pesach, as I pack everything away, I write lists detailing EXACTLY what I have for next year, what I bought this year and what I should buy the next year etc etc. My DH thinks I'm a bit mad on motse pesach, but every year (so far) I say on erev pesach "isn't it good wwe have all this written down so clearly..."

I have a note on my diary sometime in Feb/March to look at the lists.

I don't cook much - we eat out by parents and in-laws (BH they're both local) so I go help them cook in their kitchen, meaning I only kasher kitchen 1 day before pesach.

In terms of cleaning - I'm starting now to think about organizing cupboards so pesach cleaning with my helping girl is much quicker and more to the point.

PS - I haven't got anything planned for purim yet (costumes or shlach manos)

Liba

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 4:05 pm

It is funny, some use sugar without pesach hasgacha, some only use with special strict pesach hasgachot (plural) and some boil their sugar before the chag.

I have a list taped to the inside of our pesach cabinet with what we bought, what we used, and what we predict we will need next year. It has been a life saver. We no longer overbuy and I can even send DH and the kids now because I don't have to see how much X amount is. We have produce figured out down to the kilo.

hbeseder

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 4:09 pm

Mentioning this only cuz it's so relevant and well, cuz I kinda have to. After all, it's what I do Wink

Smartest early prep would be getting your home ready so that the week (or two) leading up to it has none of the 'Pre Pesach Stress' and focusing on say, just cooking, is an easy and enjoyable experience.

Smartest and easiest and least strenuous option - is to start NOW with just fifteen minutes a day. (Right before hopping onto imamother tell yourself "one drawer in 15 minutes and then I'm back on imamother". Keeps you focused and motivated.

Seriously, how many 15 minutes in your day have come and gone, regretably lost forever (sniffle, sniffle)... Why not rather write your list of all that can be done in each room (there isn't all that much!) and each day just do one or two tasks. You'll thank yourself later.

Dont' mean to sound preachy - (sorta happening anyway, hu?) but seriously, hop aboard! It's free - and a decision that no one has yet regretted!

For a fun Pesach Cleaning experience (sounds oxymoronic. I know.) Call 347-772-1188.

This isn't an advertisement. I don't gain by your call. You do! Very Happy

Seraph

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 4:13 pm

Lol I dont start pesach cleaning yet.
My house consists of one bedroom. One half a bedroom. One bathroom. One hallway. One kitchen/dining room/living room. Grand total 454 square feet. It shouldn't take me more than 2 weeks to do, max.
Oh, and our place is relatively clutter free, so easier to clean.

bnm

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 4:23 pm

Seraph wrote:

my place doesn't sound much bigger. exactly why should I start on preps now?

HindaRochel

Sun, Jan 16 2011, 10:01 pm

Cleaning for Pesach I do now. Preping I only do when my kitchen is Pesadik...I don't want to kasher my kitchen twice thank you, and di would not feel comfortable makingfor for Pesach that was sitting around chametz unless it was something like an apple that I could wash off . But I wouldn't u se smaltz or something like that...or anything that had been touched with a non-pesadika knife...that to me is problematic.