The Kosher Corner

"Kashrut" Is a set of Jewish religious dietary laws. Food that may be consumed in accordance with the Halakha (Jewish law) ( הֲלָכָה ) is termed Kosher, which means “Fit” (in this context, fit for consumption) in Hebrew.
Most of the basic laws of kashrut are derived from the Torah's Books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy

G‑d commanded the kosher laws to the children of Israel in the Sinai Desert. Moses taught them to the people and wrote the basics of these laws in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. 

The details were handed down through the generations and eventually written down in the Mishnah and Talmud. Various ordinances were enacted through the generations by the rabbinical authorities as safeguards for these biblical laws.

Among the numerous laws that form kashrut are prohibitions on the consumption of certain animals (such as pork and shellfish), mixtures of meat and milk, and the commandment to slaughter mammals and birds according to a process known as shechita. 

A mitzvah is a Divine “commandment” and “connection.” We eat kosher because G‑d commanded us to, and by fulfilling the Divine will we connect to G‑d.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BASICS of KOSHER· 

Certain species of animals (and their eggs and milk) are permitted for consumption, while others are forbidden—notably pork and shellfish.

- Meat and milk are never combined. Separate utensils are used for each, and a waiting period is observed between eating them.

- Meat must come from animals that are slaughtered in a specific (and painless) manner known as shechitah, and certain parts of the animal (including the blood) must be removed.· Fruits, vegetables and grains 

are basically always kosher, but must be insect free. Wine or grape juice, however, must be certified kosher.

- Since even a small trace of a non-kosher substance can render a food not kosher, all processed foods and eating establishments require certification by a reliable rabbi or kashrut supervision agency.

There are also laws regarding agricultural produce that might impact the suitability of our daily food for consumption. One of the basic principles of kashrus is the total separation of meat and dairy products. Meat and dairy may not be cooked or eaten together. 

Kashrut (kosher laws) can thus be seen as “spiritual nutrition.” Just as there are foods that are good for the body and foods that are harmful, there are foods that nourish the Jewish soul and foods that affect it adversely.

A third category, ( PAREVE ) or ( PARVE ), is comprised of foods which 

are neither meat nor dairy and may therefore be eaten with either. 

Pareve foods refers to “Neutral” foods that contain neither meat nor dairy ingredients, nor their derivatives. 

All fruits, grains, vegetables, water and minerals in their natural state are Kosher and Pareve. Eggs from kosher fowl are also Pareve, as are fish.

A Pareve item acquires a dairy status when it is mixed together with a dairy food or produced on dairy equipment; it acquires meat status when mixed or cooked with meat or produced on meat equipment.

Certain fruits, vegetables and grains must be checked for the presence of small insects and larvae, which are not kosher. Eggs must be checked for the presence of blood spots, which are not kosher.

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/113424/jewish/Kosher.htm

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IQF Frozen, Kosher, Fruits, Vegetables, IQF Frozen Strawberry, Egypt   

Food produced on machinery previously used to produce non-kosher items may be rendered Non-kosher. 

The same applies when alternating between dairy/meat and Pareve productions.It is possible to return non-kosher equipment back to kosher status or from dairy back to Pareve. 

The process of making vessels, utensils, dishes, ovens, and sinks kosher is called “koshering” or “kosherizing”. 

Kosherizing is done by the rabbi assigned to your facility and involves a process of cleaning and purging the equipment of its non-kosher status.

After all equipment is left idle for 24 hours, it is meticulously cleaned by facility staff and inspected for cleanliness by the rabbi. 

There are a few methods, which vary based on the equipment, and include boiling, use of steam, and purging through direct contact with fire.

Once this process is complete, the production equipment becomes kosher. 

Kosherization is also required to produce Passover products in a facility that was used to produce other products during the year. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even before your kitchen is made kosher, begin preparing for the change. Buy only foods which are certified kosher. 

Begin to keep meat and dairy separate. Many people use disposable utensils just before going kosher. 

Remove all questionable foods. Before making the kitchen kosher, discard all foods prepared in the pre-kosher kitchen. 

Many of the utensils in your kitchen will continue to be used after undergoing a process called koshering. 

There are several methods of koshering, including heating the item with a blowtorch or immersing it in boiling water.

The method used depends upon the type of utensil and how it has been used.After deciding with your rabbi which utensils will be koshered, an appointment should be made for him to come and kosher your kitchen. See Koshering 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

“MILCHIGS” and “FLEISHIGS”:
In keeping with the total separation of meat and dairy required in the kosher kitchen, separate sets of dishes, pots, silverware, serving dishes, bread trays and salt shakers are needed. 

These different sets should be kept in separate cabinets. Also necessary are separate sets of draining boards, draining racks, dish sponges, scouring pads, dish towels, and tablecloths. 

Dish soap, cleanser, and scouring pads used for dishes and pots must be certified kosher.

A very practical and widespread practice in Jewish homes is to plan 

the different sets of meat and dairy utensils around a color scheme. 

A traditional example is red for meat and blue for dairy. Draining racks, sponges and dish towels are key elements in this color system. Choose your own color scheme and use it as a reminder for yourself and anyone else who will be working in your kitchen. 

The separation of meat and dairy must be maintained throughout the kitchen. 

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/82667/jewish/Koshering-Your-Kitchen.htm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

IQF Frozen, Kosher, Fruits, Vegetables, IQF Frozen Strawberry, Egypt   

A common problem with vegetables involves possible insect infestation. There are increasing amounts of insects such as thrips and aphids infesting most of the fruits and/or vegetables, 

The prohibition against consuming insects, even very tiny ones - as long as they are visible to the naked eye - is mentioned five times in the Torah and is very strict.

Washing under running water or soaking in salt water is helpful, but the vegetables must also be inspected under a bright light, either daylight 

or artificial light. The degree to which insects are present in fruits and vegetables varies in accordance ith the region, season, and the origin. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These are the instructions from the cRc (Chicago Rabbinical Council) as 

to their most recent approved method of washing / checking strawberries for use by the Kosher consumer. This method is suggested by the cRc based on their findings of a high occurrence of insects currently found 

in strawberries, making the previous method insufficient. 

cRc recommends the following method to clean strawberries from insects;  

1) Cut off the green tops of the Strawberry (trying to avoid making a hole in the process).

2) Soak and agitate the fruits of strawberries in soapy water (don not substitute with veg. wash), using a concentrated solution of approximately one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid mixed together with no more than 8 cups of water. This process should last for about 2 minutes. 

The cRc suggests using Seventh Generation non-Fragrance Natural Dish Liquid Soap, as it leaves the least amount of “soapy aftertaste” on the strawberry.

3) Rub each strawberry thoroughly under a stream of cold water with hand (or preferably with a bristled brush like a toothbrush).

4) Soak and agitate the strawberries a second time for 2 minutes in new soapy water with the same ration as stated above.

5) Rinse strawberries well.Once all five steps have been done, the strawberries may be used without further inspection. 

The cRc points out that this does NOT apply to Organic Strawberries that are very difficult to properly clean and check for bugs, and therefore, should be avoided at this time. 

If one wants to avoid this whole process of cleaning strawberries, one may simply cut off the tops and peel off the entire outside of the strawberry, followed by a rinse.

https://kosherquest.org/crc-checking-strawberries/ 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This is only a brief summary.  Please do not rely on this summary alone…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IQF Frozen, Kosher, Fruits, Vegetables, IQF Frozen Strawberry, Egypt  

Pesach (Passover) 2022 is from April 15 to April 23, 2022

The first Seder will be on April 15 after nightfall, and the second Seder will be on April 16 after nightfall. Passover is celebrated by eating matzah (unleaven bread) and maror (bitter herbs). For the duration of the 8 (or 7 days in Israel) of Passover, chametz (leaven) is strictly avoided.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT IS PASSOVER? 

The eight-day Jewish holiday of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan, April 15 - 23, 2022. Passover (Pesach) commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Pesach is observed by avoiding leaven, and highlighted by the Seder meals that include four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus.  In Hebrew it is known as Pesach (which means “to pass over”), because G‑d passed over the Jewish homes when killing the Egyptian firstborn on the very first Passover eve.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOW IS PASSOVER CELEBRATED? 

Passover is divided into two parts:  

The first two days and last two days (the latter commemorating the splitting of the Red Sea) are full-fledged holidays. Holiday candles are lit at night, and kiddush and sumptuous holiday meals are enjoyed on both nights and days. We don’t go to work, drive, write, or switch on or off electric devices. We are permitted to cook and to carry outdoors (click here for the details).  The middle four days are called Chol Hamoed, semi-festive “intermediate days,” when most forms of work are permitted.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NO CHAMETZ...

To commemorate the unleavened bread that the Israelites ate when they left Egypt, we don’t eat—or even retain in our possession—any chametz from midday of the day before Passover until the conclusion of the holiday. 

Chametz means leavened grain—any food or drink that contains even a trace of wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt or their derivatives, and which wasn’t guarded from leavening or fermentation. 

This includes bread, cake, cookies, cereal, pasta, and most alcoholic beverages. Moreover, almost any processed food or drink can be assumed to be chametz unless certified otherwise.  

Ridding our homes of chametz is an intensive process. It involves a full-out spring-cleaning search-and-destroy mission during the weeks before Passover, and culminates with a ceremonial search for chametz on the night before Passover, and then a burning of the chametz ceremony on the morning before the holiday. 

Chametz that cannot be disposed of can be sold to a non-Jew (and bought back after the holiday).  

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click here for the full Passover story.

www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/default_cdo/jewish/Passover.htm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

IQF Frozen, Kosher, Fruits, Vegetables, IQF Frozen Strawberry, Egypt