What is Kosher , you ask? The word "kosher" is not only used for food. Kosher basically means that something follows all the Jewish legal guidelines. The word has even gained a place in American slang to mean appropriate, legitimate, or proper. Instead of saying "that's not right," one might say "that's not kosher." Kosher food laws are rather extensive. Some are derived directly from the bible and others through rabbinic interpretations over the years. What are some of the laws governing kosher food?
Here's a few examples
1. Fish and meat cannot be served together.
2. Poultry and meat must be slaughtered under strict guidelines called "shechita." This means the animals are slaughtered without pain.
3. Milk and meat cannot be served together.
4. Processed food must be prepared in the presence of a rabbi.
5. Lobster lovers might be dismayed to find that for seafood or fish to be kosher, it must have fins and easily removable scales
The main issue with pickles and their status as a kosher food is the use of animal products at some pickling and canning facilities. A pickle is made by brining a cucumber in a solution of water and salt, incase you didn't know. Sometimes, the brine is emulsified with polysorbates, which are made from animal fat. If the polysorbates are from kosher animals such as cattle slaughtered in accordance with kosher law, the pickles would be considered kosher. However, the concern is that the pickles could be contaminated with products of so-called “unclean animals,” such as pigs, or that the animals used to make the polysorbates were not slaughtered properly. As a general rule, it is easier to make pickles without polysorbates if a facility is pursuing kosher certification.
In order to be certified, the kosher pickle facility must permit inspection by a rabbinical kashrut inspector, or mashgiach. Periodic inspections will be carried out to make sure that the facility conforms with kosher laws, and a kosher-certifying organization will allow the facility to include a kosher logo on the label. This assures Jewish consumers that the kosher pickles they are purchasing are, in fact, kosher.
The main issue with pickles and their status as a kosher food is the use of animal products at some pickling and canning facilities. A pickle is made by brining a cucumber in a solution of water and salt, incase you didn't know. Sometimes, the brine is emulsified with polysorbates, which are made from animal fat. If the polysorbates are from kosher animals such as cattle slaughtered in accordance with kosher law, the pickles would be considered kosher. However, the concern is that the pickles could be contaminated with products of so-called “unclean animals,” such as pigs, or that the animals used to make the polysorbates were not slaughtered properly. As a general rule, it is easier to make pickles without polysorbates if a facility is pursuing kosher certification.
In order to be certified, the kosher pickle facility must permit inspection by a rabbinical kashrut inspector, or mashgiach. Periodic inspections will be carried out to make sure that the facility conforms with kosher laws, and a kosher-certifying organization will allow the facility to include a kosher logo on the label. This assures Jewish consumers that the kosher pickles they are purchasing are, in fact, kosher.
Try something Kosher today!
No comments:
Post a Comment