Question: What is the correct beracha to recite on homemade frozen grape lollies made solely from grape juice?
Answer: The Beis Yosef (OC 202:1) writes that
one recites shehakol on aruphi, which the Chida (Birkei Yosef OC
202:2) and Ben Ish Chai (Matos 1:10) explain refers to congealed or solidified grape
juice. Accordingly, one would recite shehakol on frozen grape juice.
R’ Shraga Feivish Schneebalg (Shraga Hameir 3:32; 8:113)
explains that once a liquid begins to solidify, it loses its halachic status as
a drink and is no longer considered wine for the purposes of berachos.
He adds that one would not fulfil kiddush with frozen wine. Similarly, R’
Shmuel Wosner (Shevet Halevi 9:39) discusses whether wine that undergoes a
physical change retains its halachic status. He concludes that since frozen
lollies are consumed by licking rather than drinking, the beracha is shehakol.
However, R’ Gavriel Krausz (Mekor Haberacha, Teshuva 2)
disagrees. He argues that aruphi refers to grape juice mixed with other
substances before being processed and that merely freezing grape juice does not
fundamentally change its nature. In his view, the frozen grape juice retains
its original status, and the appropriate beracha remains hagafen.
R’ Shamai Gross (Shevet Hakehasi 6:123) adds that according
to the Shulchan Aruch (OC 208:15), one who mistakenly recites hagafen on
grapes still fulfils their obligation. However, if one recites haeitz on
wine, there is a machlokes as to whether one must recite hagafen afterward (see
Mishna Berura 202:70). He suggests that since frozen lollies are often wet
enough to make other items wet, they may retain enough of their liquid
character to justify saying hagafen.
R’ Avraham Dovid Horowitz (Kinyan Torah Behalacha 2:108) also
argues that hagafen remains the correct beracha even for
congealed or frozen wine. He notes that the wording of the beracha does
not limit it to liquid form. While such wine might not qualify for kiddush,
it still retains the beracha of hagafen.
R’ Krausz also cites the Pri Megadim (Introduction to
Hilchos Berachos 11) who raises the question of whether the correct beracha in such a case should
be hagafen or haeitz.
In conclusion, in order to avoid any safek berachos,
one should ideally recite hagafen on regular wine or grape juice and shehakol
on another food or drink before eating the frozen grape lolly.
