ok.  guilty.  i didnt follow the recipe on the box exactly.  but what
is the cause of it falling apart?  the extra shake of matzah crackers
that i added at the last minute to finish off the box?  or not waiting
long enough for the mixture to jell in the fridge?  or fudging a bit
too much on the water and oil?

i ended up with every ball falling apart.

just curious if anybody knows for sure why this happens.  if they can
pinpoint exactly why...

anyway, 5 stars to 99.9% of all answers.  dont take it too seriously.

but seriously, next time (tonight) im going to follow the box EXACTLY.

Banchan...

The great question of life:  Why did my matzo balls fall apart?  In
looking this up, here are some the reasons I came across:

From http://www.allexperts.com/previousqv.asp?QuestionID=1766289
"...My mom swears that they do not fall apart if you really roll them
well. "

From "Mike Wolfberg's Matzo Balls",
http://www.ziplink.net/~wolfberg/recipes/jewish/matzo-balls.html
"..If there is not enough matzo meal, they will not form into balls -
they will just fall apart..?

From "Everyday Advice Index-Matzo Ball Soup",
http://www.allrecipes.com/cb/w2m/weeklyspecials/matzo/default.asp
"...Matzo balls should be chilled for at least an hour before you cook
them. If you don't chill them, they may get soggy and fall apart in
the soup..."

From "MATZOH BALLS VIII",
http://www.jewish-food.org/recipes/matz0027.htm
"...I always test 1 ball; if it should fall apart, add more meal..."

So, there you go.  Could be any number of reasons why they fell apart,
but the consensus is, it seems, you need a bit more meal.

Good luck with batch number two.  Thanks for your fun question.  If
you need any additional clarification, please let me know.

Regards,

-THV

Search Strategy:
why matzah balls fall apart
why matzo balls fall apart

thanks!  starting that 2nd batch now.  its in the fridge!

Chilling is essential.

FWIW, here's my mother's recipe. They come out light as a feather:

1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup minced onion
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup cold water
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2/3 cup matzo meal
boiling salted water

Heat oil, saute onion until tender. Remove from heat. Beat together
egg yolks, cold water, salt & pepper. Gradually beat in onion until
completely blended. Stir in chopped parsley and matzo meal. In a
separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into matzo
mixture. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Form into balls and drop
into boiling water. Cover and steam (at a simmer) for about 25 to 30
minutes. Serve with hot soup.

Regards,
luciaphile-ga