Etrog jam/jelly | Imamother

grin

Wed, Oct 22 2008, 7:43 am

I don't know the exact recipe. I know that you must peel and slice them, then soak for several days, changing the water each day, to reduce the bitterness. Then slowly boil them with tons of sugar, while removing seeds, until well-cooked and thickened.

good luck!

hila

Wed, Oct 22 2008, 7:50 am

As far as I heard in normal years etrogim are treated with TONS of pesticides, in order to keep tehm as kosher as possible. I have no idea what was done in shmitta.
But usualy it is not recommended to eat anything with etrogs because of the high pesticide problem.

mandksima

Wed, Oct 22 2008, 9:13 am

I was facinated with the mishpacha article about the Yeminite esrog guy who sells esrog juice and products in the shuk. Anyone read it? I hope that stuff is not full of pestcides as it is touted as really healthy for you!

Chocoholic

Wed, Oct 22 2008, 7:15 pm

Well, my guess is the Etrog is produced for the purpose of the mitzva and not for the purpose of food. I THINK the pressure on the agriculturists is big to produce kosher ones so they have to add chemics to prevent plagues and diseases...

I would recommend you to NOT NOT NOT NOT eat them!

Mimisinger

Wed, Oct 22 2008, 8:25 pm

ima10 wrote:

yes, I've heard this too. Oh well, we can always fill it up with cloves for b'samim.

Please ask your Rav about this. With Shmitta we were told that this is not an acceptable thing to do this year.

Mrs. XYZ

Thu, Oct 23 2008, 1:34 am

Mimisinger wrote:

ima10 wrote:

yes, I've heard this too. Oh well, we can always fill it up with cloves for b'samim.

Please ask your Rav about this. With Shmitta we were told that this is not an acceptable thing to do this year.

Right, this year you have to be careful what you do with it. If you want to make esrog jelly, you cannot peel it and throw away the peels, you have to use and eat the whole esrog. You have to be careful with the pits too.

(I usually make it with the peels anyway, I wash it with soap very well)

miriamnechama

Thu, Oct 23 2008, 10:13 am

Mrs. XYZ wrote:

Mimisinger wrote:

ima10 wrote:

yes, I've heard this too. Oh well, we can always fill it up with cloves for b'samim.

Please ask your Rav about this. With Shmitta we were told that this is not an acceptable thing to do this year.

or treet it as shmitta. it's otzer beis din

Right, this year you have to be careful what you do with it. If you want to make esrog jelly, you cannot peel it and throw away the peels, you have to use and eat the whole esrog. You have to be careful with the pits too.

(I usually make it with the peels anyway, I wash it with soap very well)

greenfire

Thu, Oct 23 2008, 10:20 am

my son usually makes esrog preserves ... first time was quite bitter - then he started adding some oranges to it ...

TzenaRena

Thu, Oct 23 2008, 10:38 am

Our esrogim are from Calabria, so we don't have the shmitta question. But I was worried that maybe some Israeli Esrogim got mixed into our bunch, because often, one of my kids will collect a few Esrogim left in shul, for our compote. BH, I was able to identify all the Esrogim in the container as our own, with no additions. So we will have Esrog on 15th of Shevat iy"h.

There was a recipe posted on www.chabad.info for esrog jelly. I usually soak them for a while, then cut them up, cook with equal parts of sugar to esrog, for a few hours. The color turns somewhat darker. My mother cooks it with quinces, so sometimes I do too.

The instructions on the website were more specific, and results are probably more professional.

greenfire

Thu, Oct 23 2008, 10:46 am

ah the quinces - I believe that is what my son used ... along with the oranges ...

what is the 15th of shevat correlation ??

Mrs. XYZ

Thu, Oct 23 2008, 1:07 pm

Quote:

what is the 15th of shevat correlation ??

Thats Tu B'shvat. It says somewhere that eating the esrog on tu bshvat is a segula for many good things.

carrot

Sun, Oct 26 2008, 5:24 pm

Mimisinger wrote:

ima10 wrote:

yes, I've heard this too. Oh well, we can always fill it up with cloves for b'samim.

Please ask your Rav about this. With Shmitta we were told that this is not an acceptable thing to do this year.

do you also mean not acceptable to make esrog jam, or just not acceptable to make b'samim things?

for someone not living in E"Y (so not familiar with rules) - how DOES one treat kedushas sheviis esrogim? what do I need to know? I know it's complicated, I mean in the context of jam.

1) use the peels too (pesticide issue aside for the moment)
2) pits - ?

and let's say I decide not to make jam... do I have to do any special shemitta disposal?

Ruchel

Mon, Oct 27 2008, 11:22 am

Italian esrogim are the most beautiful ones. Unfortunately they're a machlokes due to interrupted Jewish presence in this part of Italy. I think most people buy North Africans for this reason (according to a shiur).