Tzimmes Recipe (Best Version) (2024)

Published on: June 14, 2023

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Add some sweetness to your year with this delicious tzimmes recipe.

Tzimmes is a dish the whole family will love. It’s sweet with a hint of savory, and it’s totally tantalizing!

In Yiddish, tzimmes means “a prolonged business” or “mix-up.” And honestly, that’s fitting for this dish.

It’s made with a mix of delicious veggies, and it has to cook for a while.

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So tzimmes, the dish, is indeed a prolonged mix-up of dried fruits and veg.

And it’s absolutely perfect for your next holiday dinner.

Tzimmes is easy to make, wonderfully filling, and seriously tasty! You really can’t go wrong.

What is Tzimmes?

Tzimmes is an Ashkenazi Jewish dish traditionally served at Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

It represents a wish for a good, sweet year to come.

But it’s delicious all year long!

I think it rivals the candied sweet potatoes you’ll find at American Thanksgiving.

It has sweet potatoes, carrots, and prunes, plus a deliciously sweet orange and cinnamon sauce.

At least, that’s what you’ll find in this Tzimmes recipe.

Other versions may include other root vegetables, other dried fruits, and sometimes meat!

But, as we’ll discuss later, there are many variations. So, you can tailor it to your family’s likes and dislikes.

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Ingredients

  • Sweet Potatoes- This recipe uses orange sweet potatoes. But you can use white or purple if you have them.
  • Carrots- This dish has all the beta carotene! The carrots become really sweet and soft during the cooking process.
  • Prunes- Also known as dried plums, prunes add a lovely richness to the dish. And plenty of sweetness.
  • Orange Juice- Orange juice makes up the bulk of the sauce. Its acidity adds much-needed balance to the dish.
  • Water– Water is important because it adds volume to the sauce. But it doesn’t add any extra sugar, so the dish isn’t overwhelmingly sweet.
  • Sugars- This recipe uses both honey and brown sugar for an extra delicious taste.
  • Cinnamon- You can never go wrong with a little bit of spice.
  • Dairy-Free Margarine- Or dairy-free butter works, too. You can use regular butter if you prefer.

How To Make Tzimmes

Step One- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is preheating, prep your ingredients and grease your baking dish.

Step Two- Add your fruit and veggies to the baking dish. Toss to combine.

Step Three- Make your sauce. Whisk the orange juice, water, honey, sugar, and cinnamon together. Pour the mixture over the contents of the baking dish. Toss to combine.

Step Four- Bake. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the dish and foil. Dot pieces of margarine over the top of the vegetable mixture.

Return the dish to the oven for another 45-60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

It’s done when the veggies are tender and the sauce is thick.

Step Five- Serve warm and enjoy!

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Tips for the Best Tzimmes and Variations

  • Cut your sweet potatoes and carrots into similarly-sized pieces. This ensures even cooking.
  • You can prep everything up to a day before you need to bake it! Simply follow the recipe as directed, without baking. Then, store it in the fridge until you need it.
  • Add dried apricots for even more deliciousness or any other dried fruit you like! Raisins, dried cranberries, or dates are great options as well.
  • You can also substitute with other root vegetables. Rutabagas, white potatoes, and turnips work just as well. Though, cooking times may vary, so just keep an eye on it.
  • If you love spices, add some more! This dish tastes amazing with turmeric, cardamom, nutmeg, and/or cloves.
  • Typically, Tzimmes is served alongside roast beef or chicken. But you can add the meat right in! I maybe wouldn’t do chicken, but chunks of beef would be delicious.
  • If you have all the time in the world, you can make this in the slow cooker. Simply add everything to the pot and turn it on low. It’s ready in about 4 hours.
  • You can save time by making this dish in the pressure cooker! Simply add everything to your pressure cooker and cover it. Turn the manual pressure on for 2 minutes.
  • When it’s done, let the pressure out using the quick release. You don’t want it to depressurize naturally or you’ll have mashed Tzimmes.

How to Store and Freeze

You can store Tzimmes in an air-tight container in the fridge. It will last for up to 4 days.

It also freezes very well, so this is a great dish to prepare ahead of time. Again, store it in an air-tight container. I find freezer bags work well.

It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge the night before you need it.

You can reheat it in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven until it’s warmed through.

For a single serving, you can heat it in the microwave until it’s warm.

Tzimmes Recipe (Best Version) (4)

Tzimmes Recipe (Best Version)

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour

45

minutes

Calories

309

kcal

This epic tzimmes recipe is sure to delight the entire family! Learn how to make this traditional Jewish dish, plus, get tips for different variations to try.

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray

  • 3 pounds sweet potatoes (approximately 4 large), peeled and cubed

  • 2 pounds medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

  • 1 package (12 ounces) of pitted dried prunes, halved

  • 1 cup orange juice

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 cup cold dairy-free margarine or butter, cut into pieces

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use the cooking spray to grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  • Add the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, and prunes to the baking dish. Toss to combine.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, water, honey, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour the orange juice mixture over the contents of the baking dish. Toss to combine.
  • Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour.
  • After 1 hour, remove the dish from the oven. Remove the foil. Dot the dairy-free margarine pieces over the top of the veggie mixture.
  • Return to the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Bake until the veggies are tender and the juices have thickened into a sauce.
  • Serve warm and enjoy!
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Tzimmes Recipe (Best Version) (2024)

FAQs

How to make tzimas? ›

Directions
  1. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add carrots, raisins, orange juice, honey, brown sugar, salt, and pepper; bring it to a boil. ...
  2. Uncover the pan, increase heat to high and cook until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle parsley on top before serving.

What does tzimmes mean in Yiddish? ›

Pronounced tzim-mess. For those unfamiliar with the term, tzimmes is generally understood as Yiddish for “a big fuss.” In Jewish cooking terms, a tzimmes is essentially a casserole. Similar to a stew.

What is tzimmes made of? ›

Tzimmes, or tsimmes (Yiddish: צימעס, Hebrew: צִימֶעס), is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish stew typically made from carrots and dried fruits such as prunes or raisins, often combined with other root vegetables (including yam).

How to warm up tzimmes? ›

Tzimmes & Roasted Potatoes

To reheat and serve warm, preheat oven to 350°F. Heat for 25-30 minutes, or until items reach desired temperature.

How long do tzimmes last? ›

Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until carrots are tender and most liquid has evaporated. Serve hot or warm. Tzimmes keeps in the fridge up to 3 days.

Why do we eat tzimmes on Rosh Hashanah? ›

Claudia Roden explains in The Book of Jewish Food (1996): “In Yiddish lore, sliced carrots are associated with gold coins, and carrot tzimmes are eaten at Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) as a symbol of prosperity and good fortune.

What is a boobie in Yiddish? ›

In fact, when researching the uses of this provocative word, I learned that “boobie…is a term of endearment derived from the Yiddish term bubele, meaning baby”.

What is stinky in Yiddish? ›

Farshtunkener = Smelly, malodorous person

That makes this affront both versatile and really fun to say.

What is the Yiddish word for forbidden food? ›

The word treif is a Yiddish word that refers to any food that is deemed unkosher (i.e. forbidden under Jewish law). The word is derived from the Hebrew word treifah (or terefah) which means something that is torn or mangled.

Can I freeze tzimmes? ›

Can You Freeze Tzimmes? Absolutely! Frozen tzimmes will last up to 4 months when frozen.

What is the origin of the word tzimmes? ›

“The first-known use of the Yiddish name tzimmes is from 1892, and it is said to have originated from the German zuomuose, or 'side dish. ' Merriam-Webster dictionary breaks it down to zuo (at, to) and imbīz (light meal).”

How do you pronounce Tsimmes? ›

The Ashkenazi Jewish side dish tzimmes (also written as tsimmes, both pronounced “tsi-miss,”) is a celebration of stewed root vegetables — typically carrot or sweet potato —i n a casserole, perfumed with orange and lightly sweetened with brown sugar or honey and dried fruit.

How many calories are in tzimmes? ›

Calories in Tzimmes (Sweet Potato and Carrot)
Calories103.7
Total Carbohydrate25.9 g
Dietary Fiber3.0 g
Sugars14.9 g
Protein1.4 g
8 more rows

Can tzimmes be frozen? ›

Make Ahead and Serving Tips: tzimmes may be prepared up to 3 days ahead, cover and refrigerate. Reheat at 325 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until hot. This dish may be frozen for up to 4 months.

What do you eat on Sukkot? ›

Kreplach, challah, compote, and other traditional and delicious Sukkot recipes. Unlike other holidays, Sukkot has no traditional dishes—other than kreplach, traditionally eaten on Hoshanah Rabbah, the seventh day of Sukkot. Instead, we enjoy a variety of traditional foods—challah, fish, salads, chicken, meat and more.

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