Haroset

Haroset is a treat that we serve on our Seder table. It has a special place on the Seder plate. All of the items on the Seder plate are meant to help tell the Passover story. Haroset is meant to remind us of the mortar that was used by the Israelites while they were slaves in Egypt. Traditionally, haroset is sweet and dark with wine and cinnamon. It was always a favorite of mine and I spread it liberally on matzo during dinner. This version has a dark Rioja wine from Spain and chopped orange peel to give it a rich citrus flavor. This recipe makes quite a lot of haroset (about 5 cups), but I need it for two different dinners so I wanted enough. I hope you enjoy it with your Seder meal.
Haroset
Ingredients:
6 Granny Smith Apples
1 orange
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup red wine (I used Rioja)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
pinch salt

1. Peel the apples and dice them into small pieces.
2. Using the peeler, peel the orange zest off of half the orange.
3. Dice the peels into a small dice.
4. Put the apples and orange zest into a medium sized pot. Add the golden raisins.
5. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
6. Add the chopped almonds, wine, and the juice of the orange. Turn on the heat and allow to simmer on low heat for an hour until the apples are tender.
Serve with matzo on your Seder table.