Shabbos Treasures 22: Kneading

Question 1) any issues making baby cereal on shabbos? Question 2) you forgot to make charoset on erev pesach, what to do? This melacha of kneading is the combining of small particles by means of a binding agent into a solid or even semi solid mass. Even adding or mixing liquid into a think sauce or batter is the melacha, such as mixing baby cereal with milk. To understand the kneading process there are 2 steps: 1) liquid comes into contact with the flour. 2) the 2 are mixed and blended with a kneading action. Both of these steps are forbidden. So it's forbidden to pour water into flour even without mixing and forbidden to mix water and flour even if it was already mixed. Examples would include: Mixing oil or mayonnaise into mashed avocado or juice into mashed bananas. However the melacha only applies to small bits which when combined will not be recognised individually but will be seen as 1 mass. Large chunks of food which remain clearly distinct are OK. Eg one can mix banana slices with sour cream or chunks of potatoes with mayonnaise to make potato salad as long as pieces are big enough to be clearly defined in the mixture. So, how to make your favourite egg mayonnaise on shabbos?! 1) add a lot of mayonnaise in with the purpose of producing a thin mixture. 2) reverse the order of adding the liquid, eg if usually add the egg first, now add egg first. (If no normal order add solids first.) 3) stir the mixture in an unusual manner eg crisscross. This would also be the way to make charoset on Seder night if you forgot to make it before yom tov,  ie: 1) reverse the order and add wine before the charoset  2) add a lot of wine to produce a thin charoset mixture  3) stir it slowly with either a finger or handle of a spoon. Other examples to look out for: 1) Making think oatmeal cereal, pudding or instant potatoes as these combinations produce think sticky non pourable mixtures. Not ok. 2) With baby cereal you can deal with this by preparing with a lot of liquid which will result in a batter type of mixture not a thick one. Then reverse the order of combining the ingredients and stir it in an unusual manner.