Search results for: ""Kasher""
Mikva in Nature: Measurements
A kosher mikva in nature:
- Must be 40 se'ah (about 192 gallons);
- Has no minimum depth;
- May be murky or muddy (but must be such that a cow would drink it); and
- May not drop in level more than 2 inches (3.1 cm) within 24 hours.
Non-Glatt Meat Utensils
Cooking kosher, non-glatt meat in a utensil does not render that utensil non-kosher, even for someone who only eats glatt meat.
When Hechsher Needed
A hechsher/kosher supervision is needed on:
- Seltzer with natural flavor.
- Grape seed extract and grape seed oil.
Spring as Mikva
Springs are always kosher mikvas as long as the volume in the place of immersion is at least 40 se'ah (192 gallons).
Dish Soap
Dish soap made from kosher ingredients but without Passover supervision may still be a problem on Passover due to possible alcoholic ingredients.
Beer
All beer in the USA is kosher and does not need supervision. Many beers in other countries are also kosher even without supervision, but the status should be checked with local kashrut authorities.
Situation Some beers have lactose added.
Status If the lactose is less than 1/60th of the total volume, the beer is not considered to be dairy.
Situation Some beers have lactose added.
Status If the lactose is less than 1/60th of the total volume, the beer is not considered to be dairy.
Oceans as Mikva
All oceans and seas are kosher mikvas, but other salty water (defined as water that a cow would not drink) is not kosher for immersion.
Note A rabbi should be consulted before using an ocean for immersion since there are other issues involved.
Beheimot Do Not Need Masoret
Beheimot (4-legged kosher animals) do not need masoret (tradition passed from previous generations that something was kosher) to be identified as kosher; they just need to have split hooves and to chew their cud.
Why Bugs May Not Be Eaten
Bugs are not kosher and may not be eaten for two main reasons:
- First, the Torah forbids the “sheretz ha'shoreitz al ha'aretz” (“creeping thing that creeps on the ground”).
- Second, if people consider bugs disgusting to eat, the bugs are forbidden.
General Rules: Kashrut and Bugs
Three basic principles govern bugs/insects in food:-
Partial-Bug Nullification
A whole bug or insect cannot be nullified, even when it makes up less than 1/60th of the volume of the food in which it is found.
Note Any bug that is missing even a tiny part of its body may be nullified if less than 1/60th of the volume of the food in which it is found, but only if:- You cannot remove the bug, and
- You cannot see it.
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The Three-Bug Rule
Any time you find three bugs in food, you must assume there are more bugs to be found and you must therefore check every piece of that food before eating any of it. -
The Still-Kosher Food-and-Pot Rule
Even if the bugs were cooked in the food, as long as you later remove all the bugs, the food and the utensil in which they were cooked remain kosher.
Exception If bugs make up 50\% or more of the total volume, the food is not kosher.
What To DoIn this case, you should consult a rabbi about whether the utensil is kosher.
Kashrut: Non-Certified Soap
Soap must be considered non-kosher unless it is certified kosher. Soap without kosher supervision should not l'chatchila be used on food utensils--even if you use cold water and even on glass--because a soap residue adheres to the surfaces, even after careful rinsing.
Soaps/Detergents
Bar soap is generally made from animal fat. Since all soaps do have taste and might be edible by a dog, they might not be nifsal for a dog and therefore cannot be used on eating utensils.
Soaps/Detergents
Bar soap is generally made from animal fat. Since all soaps do have taste and might be edible by a dog, they might not be nifsal for a dog and therefore cannot be used on eating utensils.
Note However, a dish remains kosher b'di'avad if washed with cold water and non-kosher soap made from non-kosher fat.
Water (Plain)
Plain water (in the USA) never needs kosher supervision, not even for Passover.
Conger Eel with Scales
Conger eel with scales is a kosher fish! It must have a backbone.
Kashrut: Dairy: Common Milk (Chalav Stam)
For milk to be kosher, it must come from a kosher animal. You may use common milk (milk sold in conventional food stores without any kosher supervision) in the US.
Reason The US government enforces laws that permit only cow's milk to be sold as common milk.
Note If a country does not have such laws or does not strictly enforce them, you may not rely on that leniency and may only use milk supervised by Jews (chalav Yisrael).
Note Some people drink only chalav Yisrael milk even in the US.
Note If a country does not have such laws or does not strictly enforce them, you may not rely on that leniency and may only use milk supervised by Jews (chalav Yisrael).
Note Some people drink only chalav Yisrael milk even in the US.
When Hechsher NOT Needed
Processed Food without Hechsher: Is It Kosher?
If a processed food does not have supervision/hashgacha, here are some issues to consider:
If a processed food does not have supervision/hashgacha, here are some issues to consider:
- Ingredients;
- Utensils/processing equipment;
- Bishul akum/“prestigious” foods that require Jewish involvement in the cooking;
- Heating system (recirculated steam?);
- Heter for milk without being supervised - which conditions and countries can be relied on;
- Non-food ingredients (lubricants, preservatives, emulsifiers...);
- Reliability of the producer;
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Is the non-kosher ingredient batel/nullified?
- ownership (Is the food's producer or owner Jewish?)
- intended consumer (Is the food being produced specifically for Jews, or is it for the public and Jews are some of the customers)?
- Was the non-kosher substance added intentionally?
- Does the non-kosher substance have flavor?
- Was the non-kosher substance added for flavor?
- Beer made in the US (and sometimes in other countries).
- Nuts (dry roasted) without additives.
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Olives--assumed to be kosher unless mixed with ingredients that may be non-kosher, such as:
- Vinegar (sometimes made from grapes).
- Non-kosher chemical preservatives (in commercially sold olives).
Note In open markets in which olives are sold in bulk, you may eat olives after checking the ingredients. - Olive oil (extra virgin).
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Pure fruit juice NOT made from concentrate (such as orange or pineapple juice) does not normally require a hechsher (except for grape juice, which always requires a hechsher!).
Note Juices from concentrate might have kashrut problems due to the vats in which they are cooked or pasteurized. If you can verify how the juice was processed and that there are no kashrut problems, you may use the juice without a hechsher. There may also be problems with juice made from fruit or vegetables which were grown in Eretz Yisrael, due to orla, shmitta, teruma and maaser.
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Scotch whiskey--even where it might have been aged in sherry casks.
Reason Any sherry would be nullified as less than 1/6th.
Note Other types of whiskey may not be kosher because:- Glycerine may have been added;
- The whiskey may have been owned by a Jew during Passover in a previous year; or
- Milk, or alcohol derived from milk, might have been added.
- Sugar (confectioner's) needs kosher supervision only for Passover. Regular sugar never needs kosher supervision (currently).
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Unprocessed foods such as
- Raw fruits and vegetables (but might need to be checked for insects), and
- Water, but some unfiltered tap water might have tiny creatures in it which make the water non-kosher.
Note Several websites list additional foods that do not need supervision to be trusted as kosher.
Kashrut: Smoked Fish
Smoked fish needs supervision due to possibly non-kosher items:
- Brine in which the fish are soaked,
- Hooks from which the fish are hung.