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Zaide Reuven’s Esrog Schanpps

We can’t sell you any schnapps but we can certainly tell you how to make it . . . using Zaide Reuven’s Esrogim of course . . .

You will need:

  • 3 Zaide Reuven’s Esrogim
  • 3 cups vodka
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (can use brown sugar instead)

Remove zest / rind (yellow outer layer) and place this in a quart jar. Keep the white peel for candied esrog.

Add two cups of vodka and close lid tightly. Store in a cool dark place (eg refrigerator) for at least two days, more usually 7 – 30 days. Add the sugar. Shake until dissolved. Add remaining vodka and stir until clear. Close jar and store in a cool dark place for 6 weeks. Filter through cheesecloth to clarify.

Store in a Zaide Reuven’s Schnapps Decanter

Zaide Reuven’s Young Plants

Growing Your Own Aravos
Growing your own Aravos is really easy. You can have all the arava you want for your lulav bundle and hoshanos and you don’t have to worry about the arava getting damaged in shipment.

It Is Really Fast
Take some willow stems and cut them into 3-6” lengths. Place them, the correct way up, in a jar of fresh water, about two inches deep. Do not worry if the leaves fall off. Watch the stems for 1-2 weeks and you will see roots beginning to form. When the roots are 1-2” long plant each stem in its own pot – about 2 to 4” size with potting soil. Keep very moist. After 2-3 weeks transfer them to a larger pot, or, if before it gets frosty, you can plant them in a sunny location away from water pipes. It is a hiddur to plant them near a stream as the Torah calls them “arvei nahal” (willow of the brook).

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Zaide Reuven’s Aravos (Willow)

Growing Your Own Aravos
Growing your own Aravos is really easy. You can have all the arava you want for your lulav bundle and hoshanos and you don’t have to worry about the arava getting damaged in shipment.

It Is Really Fast
Take some willow stems and cut them into 3-6” lengths. Place them, the correct way up, in a jar of fresh water, about two inches deep. Do not worry if the leaves fall off. Watch the stems for 1-2 weeks and you will see roots beginning to form. When the roots are 1-2” long plant each stem in its own pot – about 2 to 4” size with potting soil. Keep very moist. After 2-3 weeks transfer them to a larger pot, or, if before it gets frosty, you can plant them in a sunny location away from water pipes. It is a hiddur to plant them near a stream as the Torah calls them “arvei nahal” (willow of the brook).

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Esrog & Lulav Sets

Esrog & Lulav Sets (Choose the best option below)

The 5773/2012 season is about to start. As with last year, the supply of lulavim is likely to be very unreliable. We have however commitments from our long time suppliers in California and Israel for the same excellent quality of lulavim that our customers know we can supply.

Because we took the lead last year in establishing an infrastructure to cut, sort, pack and ship Californian lulavim, we are receiving many inquiries for these now sought-after lulavim. We STRONGLY suggest that you place your orders early. We are also taking commitments with deposits from wholesalers NOW. we are asking that other wholesalers partner with us to help build the infrastructure needed to ensure a quality supply of lulavim in the long term.

ORDERS PLACED from Thursday 20th  2012 noon CDT onwards will not be accepted unless confirmed beforehand by direct phone contact – 469 939 5596.

We have secured an alternate supply in order to avoid last minute problems like the ones we experienced several years ago. ALL sets supplied will include a Californian lulav as standard; our prices have been adjusted accordingly.

All of our customers have agreed without hesitation to buy Californian or Israeli lulavim.

SHIPPING OPTIONS have changed. Please CLICK HERE for important updates and changes to shipping.

ESROG NEWS

This year’s ESROG crop has been excellent and we anticipate receving high quality esrogim both from California and Italy (Yanaver). We can supply bulk orders from both sources. Please call us now to order 469 939 5596.

An Esrog Tree in Rochester, NY?

By L. Goldstein, Principal, Derech HaTorah of Rochester

esrog-rochester-3Over a decade ago, my husband found the most beautiful esrog that I had ever seen. It was perfect! All Sukkos, I thought about the concept of perpetuating those fantastic esrog genes. After Yom Tov, I brought it to school and we had a project/lab. We cut open the esrog, noticed how different it was from a lemon, and planted the seeds. Everyone said that it couldn’t be done, and even after it sprouted, they said, “So, even though it started growing, what will you do now? You can’t grow an esrog tree in Rochester! It’s never been done. We get snowstorms!”

Just like our flourishing community, our little esrog tree grew and grew, spending winter inside and summer outside. Finally, five years ago, our tree found a permanent home in the front hallway of Derech HaTorah, Rochester’s Torah elementary school. It started to blossom and flower, but wouldn’t bear fruit. We turned to our favorite consultant, “Zaide Reuven,” Dr. David Wiseman of Dallas, Texas, a medical research scientist and esrog grower. He advised us that our tree needed nitrogen. Shortly thereafter, our tree once again flowered and, at long last, started to grow fruit!

Imagine the excitement of coming to school each day in the spring, getting off the bus and checking on the budding fruit. Envision watering the tree and helping the principal “buzz” around the tree with a mini-brush, spreading the pollen and helping new esrogim grow. Then, picture the thrill of returning to school in the fall and seeing beautiful, full-grown esrogim hanging on the tree. Is there another school in the country (or the world) with such fortunate talmidim?

esrog-rochester-2Our next step was asking shailos. We checked with Rav Shmuel Feurst, dayan of Agudath Israel of Illinois, to make sure that there were no issues, since our tree is not attached to the ground. After extensive research, the rov assured us that our esrogim are completely kosher and that he himself would make a bracha on one of our esrogim. Finally, we invited the rosh yeshiva, Rav Menachem Davidowitz, to visit the school to personally inspect the esrogim. We were honored with not only a visit and inspection, but – with the whole school assembled – the rosh yeshiva gave a mini-shiur about esrogim and then, with the help of several Derech HaTorah talmidim, he cut down three beautiful esrogim. The rosh yeshiva also brought along a bais medrash bochur, Yehuda Greenberg, who also happens to be an esrog dealer in Queens. He helped evaluate, inspect and grade our esrogim.esrog-rochester-11

All yeshivos are struggling in today’s economy, but how many can add a budget line (in the revenue section) from esrog sales?! The esrogim are up for auction and the thrill driving the auction is not only for the zechus of purchasing a beautiful esrog and supporting Torah education, but also the idea – especially for Rochesterians – of being able to fulfill the mitzvah of Arba Minim by using an esrog grown in Rochester!

{Matzav.com Newscenter}