In the middle of the summer, Rosh Hashana and Sukkos seem a long way off.  Yet, they will arrive, and this year, the calendar configuration is three day Yomim Tovim for Rosh Hashana, and the first and last days of Sukkos.  We plan to provide tips over a few articles to help families enjoy the upcoming Yomim Tovim.

While summertime is too early for many Yom Tov preparations, it is a good time to start baking or cooking to stocking the freezer. While parents with a spare freezer will benefit the most from tips in this article, those who have only their fridge-top freezer may find that they can make a little extra room for Yom Tov food.  Parents who spend Yom Tov with the grandparents may offer to send food during the summer to their freezer to make it easier to feed their family when they come over.  It may even make sense to split the cost of a freezer with the grandparents if they have space for it and the parents do not.  However, it is probably not worth it to freeze food ahead if the home is subject to blackouts.

What to Freeze Ahead?

Challah, cake, cookies, most kugels and pies freeze well.  On the savory side, chicken soup, meat balls, schnitzel, potato knishes, meat, chicken and kreplach may also be frozen.  Certain foods, such as mushrooms, change texture when frozen; check with friends when in doubt.

Given the constraints of limited time and freezer spaces, parents need to set priorities.

Budget

Can homemade food substitute for expensive prepared foods?  Most prepared Yom Tov treats, including cookies, iced cakes, and cupcakes may be duplicated in the home kitchen for far less than the store bought version.

Another approach is to stock up on meat and chicken when on sale over the summer.  Based on experience, parents may set a “floor price”: when the food hits this price, it’s time to purchase.  Meats may be cooked or roasted before freezing.

Health

During the summer, parents may decide how healthy the family will eat over Yom Tov.  Assuming that family members are willing to consume them, parents may choose to prepare fruit-based desserts, whole grain snacks, granola, and (partially) whole wheat challah. Summer is when blueberries, cherries, and plums are cheapest and available to be baked into crisps, cobblers, kugels, and pies, all healthier than most cake.   Other homemade snacks may be prepared in a more healthy way than the store bought version.

Enhancing Yom Tov

Are there treats that cannot be found in stores?  Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are surprisingly hard to find.  Recipes exist for homemade versions of candy bars such as Mars bars and peanut butter cups.  By using parve chocolate chips and margarine, the family may enjoy parve versions of these treats.

Are there fussy eaters in the family who need their food cooked “just so”?  It may be easiest to cook and freeze meatballs ahead for children who do not eat “regular” chicken or beef.

Involving the Children

Baking or cooking with the children may be a wonderful bonding experience.  Children enjoy feeling needed and may take pride in their accomplishments in the kitchen.  Moreover, Yom Tov feels more special when one has invested in the preparation.  However, parents need to think ahead in order for food preparation with the children to be a pleasant experience.

Keep It Simple

It is better to avoid trying out new or complicated recipes with younger children.  When doubling the recipe, work out the arithmetic in advance, perhaps with a budding mathematician, and mark the altered quantities on the recipe itself.

Lower Expectations

When inexperienced cooks are involved, cookies may not be well shaped, and meatballs, not as round.  Or, everything will look perfect, but will take four times as long.  Food preparation with beginners should be viewed as spending time with the children, rather than as “getting things done”.

Get the Right Equipment.

Even children who are too young to use peelers or knives may be able to help if provided with the right gadgets.  These include crank-operated peelers, onion choppers, cherry pitters, and vegetable slicers.  Parents should keep in mind that these utensils all have sharp parts; setup and cleanup may still need to be performed by adults.  Alternatively, children may help with the measuring, pouring, and mixing.

If mother is an incurable perfectionist or finds too many helping hands stressful, it may be better to either prepare food when the children are out or invite the children to “hang out” in the kitchen rather than help.

Keeping the Kitchen Cool

Heating up the kitchen and living areas by running the oven is not a good idea during a heat wave.  The heat effect may be mitigated by putting an exhaust fan in the kitchen window and shutting the kitchen door.  Alternatively, stove top dishes do not heat up the house as much as those cooked in the oven.

Other ways to beat the heat are to reserve baking for early morning, late evening, or for cooler, rainy days.  Some ingredients may be prepared in advance, combined, and heated when the temperature goes down. Some recipes even allow for the freezing of the ingredients raw and cooking later.

Click here for our fruit cobbler recipe.