By P. Samuels
Other than cholent, I do not know of any food that has as many variations as esrogeingemacht. My mother, a’h, made hers dry, the drier the better. Imagine how many rolls of paper towels were used in the days when I used 40 or 50 esrogim! My mother-in-law’s recipe is for a jelly-like concoction, adding one lemon to two or three esrogim. Two of my daughters-in-law (who happen to share a grandmother) make a type of compote with quinces.
The process of making esrogeingemacht starts before Sukkos. I have a beautiful mesh basket that I like to fill with esrogim to hang in my sukkah. On erev tom tov, my sons go to their favorite esrog dealer and bring me some of his leftover stock: mostly pasul ones that he couldn’t sell. One year, they brought me more than 100 esrogim. Being the good mother-in-law that I am reputed to be, I generously shared the largesse with their wives.
One of the cardinal rules of cooking esrog is to remove all the pits. Supposedly, the pits add an unpleasant bitterness to the final product. My husband uses a Geneva esrog which is full of pits. On that one, I have no choice. But I put my foot down on the pasulesrogim. I accept only Moroccan esrogim, which have no pits. After spending a few hours removing pits, you’ll appreciate the difference.
The first step in cooking esrogim is soaking them, changing the water every day. When anyone asks how long to soak the esrogim, I answer, “when one esrog becomes moldy, or when the bucket sitting on your counter makes you nervous and you want to get rid of it.”
To peel or not to peel is the next question. Again, that depends on the recipe and technique you are following. Then comes the process of cooking, changing water (to avoid bitterness), and finally adding the sugar. Is it two cups of sugar to three esrogim or three cups to two? Enjoy the wonderful citrusy esrog aroma while you are working. How to store is the next issue. Freezer containers and Ball jars both serve the purpose.
My nephews love esrog in any form. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Hungarian, Polish, or Sephardi recipe. If it’s esrog, they will eat it. My sister makes huge batches, and then she tries to hide some for Tu B’Shevat. She even resorted to disguising the containers. She thought she had found the solution, until once, her son, then a teenager, told her with a wry smile “Mommy, the pareve vegetable soup you had in the freezer was absolutely delicious.”
Tu B’Shevat is the time when one can daven for a good esrog for the following year. But more importantly, one should daven that our dearest fruits, our children and grandchildren, should blossom and flourish as they follow in the footstep of our forefathers. May the yom tov of Tu B’Shevat bring you fruitful and gezuntenachas from your family.
Esrog Jelly
Ingredients:
3 esrogim
2 cups sugar
2 lemons
Directions:
Peel esrogim and lemons. Slice thinly and remove pits. Cover esrogim with water and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, pour off water and replace with fresh cold water. Change the water this way three or four times. This removes the bitterness from the esrogim. After the final change, cook on small flame until soft enough to mash slightly with a fork (approximately 45 minutes to one hour.) Pour off water, and lay esrog on paper towels to dry slightly. Return to pot and add sugar, cooking on small flame and stirring often, until it turns a medium to dark golden color. After 15 minutes, while the esrog is still a light gold, add the lemons.
Esrog jelly can be stored in clean Ball jars or in freezer containers and can be frozen.