Baruch Hashem, it’s that time of year! Number one, let’s be grateful we are in this position, getting ready for Pesach. I heard Rebbetzin Tehila Jaeger say that the basis of Yetzias Mitzrayim is gratitude, and we must be grateful that we have the health, intellect, and resources to be bringing in the Yom Tov.

She shares the idea that women are constantly in some form of preparatory mode or another, and the Hebrew word for preparation, “hachana,” has the same gematria as the sum of the two Hebrew words for the brain and heart (“moach” and “lev“). So, we get to fuel our minds and hearts by learning Torah and accessing ideas about the Yom Tov. Let’s optimize your set-up so that you can listen to all kinds of Torah content while you cook!

For those without a dedicated Pesach kitchen or those not yet ready to kasher their main kitchen but still wanting to cook for Pesach, I highly recommend checking out this article on using a slow cooker for Pesach meal prep. Over the years, I’ve perfected the process and gathered a few helpful tips and gadget recommendations to make your cooking experience smoother. With just a small space, a few basic ingredients, and some table and fridge/freezer space, you can get everything done with ease. Let’s dive into some of my top tips for simplifying the cooking process, along with the gadgets you’ll actually need.

1. Wash Bin as a Sink

Many people ask me what to do about not having a kosher-for-Pesach sink in my makeshift set-up which I describe in my book, Pesach While You Sleep.

In the past, I used water spray bottles over the garbage can to rinse things. Yeah, a little campy. Like the Couple of Boschs. And I’ve washed things out in the laundry sink. (Little needs washing since I mostly use crock liners and vinyl gloves, and then everything gets washed once it’s moved to the regular koshered kitchen).  

This year I finally went and bought, not a sink, but a wash bin. Yes, a dishpan. A dishpan with perks. I use it free-standing on the table/counter. It has this cool thing at the bottom that locks, so you can shut it when you soak something, but open it when you are ready to drain it over the laundry sink (or bathtub). Game changer! I have two; I keep one “clean” for soaking raw foods like raw potatoes ‘till I am ready for them. The other I keep for washing utensils or for other gunk. AND, they are collapsible! I can hang them on the wall!

2. Pantry Door Organizer

Speaking of hanging on a wall, another thing I would recommend is this pantry door organizer. You don’t even need a cabinet or a shelf in your area, if you have a closet door or a wall. There is compact room to store tons of ingredients and supplies. It has mesh side pockets to hold easy-reach things like your peeler or pareve knife. If this is too large, you could use a smaller mesh shoe caddy designed for RV’s.

3. Magnetic Organizer Caddy

Have just some real estate on the outside of the fridge nearby? You can use this for your knives and peelers (and permanent marker/labels).

4. Mesh Cart

This four-drawer mesh cart is my favorite little worker bee. (It doubles as a guest room dresser when I’m done. It’s lightweight and on wheels, so it travels easily.) Meanwhile, it can hold my potatoes, onions, foil, cups, crock liners, pans, and so much more. You can also use it as a place to store the contents of your chometz drawers when you move them out of the regular kitchen for Pesach.

5. Makeshift Room Partition

Also, this year I made myself a partition for my space. It makes it feel more official. No, it doesn’t keep anyone out, but it is a visual reminder that things are different around here. I used two small 3M hooks stuck to the opening of my workspace. A small piece of cloth (I think it was a small tablecloth) held up by two curtain clip rings does the job as a moveable “door.” I also use those small 3M hooks to hang up my cutting board (I use one of those thin plastic ones that weighs like one ounce! It has a hole for hanging) on the wall.

My favorite soup-freezing hack:

Do not freeze soup in a plastic container or anything that is not oven-safe. Freeze it directly in either a real or disposable loaf pan (they make deep ones). (And label the ends, so you can read it face forward). That way, you can put it straight into the oven to heat up before serving. No ice sculpting contest getting it out of the container, and nothing else to clean! I know some people freeze soups in ziplock bags, and lay them flat, but this will skip the step of defrosting and awkward repositioning of liquid. And the rectangle shape of the loaf pans is great for stacking. If you use heavy duty foil or foil pan lids, that will be the strongest. Just don’t fill to the top or you will be splashing it on the way to the freezer.

Here are some things you may consider prepping ahead in your small prep area:

-Make dry cake mixes in half-gallon ziplock bags (add just the dry ingredients from your recipes, label it with an index card inside, listing which liquid ingredients still need to be added).

-Dress chicken with olive oil and spices, or with any marinade or “breading” (think, BBQ potato chip crumbs), and freeze in labeled pans.

-Peel potatoes and refrigerate in watery ziplock bags or containers- untouched, they can last about a week before use.

-Prepare cookie dough and freeze it (even formed).

-Prepare dips with mayo (and if you make your own mayo, you could here) and spices, or frozen veggies.

-Salad dressings

-Peel and slice tons of onions and cook them in the slow/pressure cooker, then freeze in snack bags.

-Make jello/juice/cola ices, depending on your recipe (Tip- use slow/pressure cooker to boil the water, and then use a large pitcher to mix recipe ingredients and pour straight into the single-serving containers- large containers take forever to defrost to serve from!)

-Make chocolate bark (yes, you can melt chocolate with a slow cooker or pressure cooker) – add dried fruit or nuts, and freeze. Or layer on top of almond butter mixed with confectioner’s sugar (yum, mock peanut butter cups!).

Julie is an occupational therapist, photographer, and author of several books including her newest, titled Making It Mine. You may recognize her as the author of Pesach While You Sleep, or one of her other titles available here. Julie lives with her husband and children (who wonder which occupation is her ‘real job’) in Detroit, Michigan.