Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus, כשרות or כַּשְׁרוּת) is the set of Jewish dietary laws.

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Hagalah in Denver?

In high-altitude cities, water boils at a lower temperature than the standard 212 degrees Farenheit. For example, in Denver the boiling point is about 203 degrees. Can one kasher utensils with hagalah ...
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Kashrus Book in Hebrew like Shemiras Shabbos k'Hilchasa

Does anyone know of a good book on kashrus (in Hebrew) that accomplishes for kashrus something similar to what Shemiras Shabbos k'hilchasa does for Shabbos?
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1answer
88 views

Is there such a thing as kosher perry?

This might be too obscure for most people, but I want to put it out there anyway. Perry is fermented pears (sort of a pear cider, if you will - from what I read in Wikipedia, perry produced outside ...
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3answers
461 views

Why do some people have a custom to boil only odd numbers of eggs?

I heard that some still have a custom to boil only odd numbers of eggs at a time. I heard that the reason is if there is a blood-spot in an egg, the egg will be Battel Berov. This only explains why ...
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2answers
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Chazekes Kashrus - Permitted or Required to rely on it?

Is the concept of "chazekes kashrus" (presumption of being acceptable), particularly with respect to the kashrus of food, a reshus (permission) or a chiyuv (obligation)? I.e. are we required to rely ...
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1answer
87 views

Kashering cold dishes for Pesach

If a vessel only held cold food, never hot, but was washed in the dishwasher, does it need hagalah for pesach? Or nothing? Is your minhag not to use any year-round cookware for pesach, or do you ...
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2answers
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Is Rabbi Barnett Hasden's “Ner Tamid K” hechsher recommended?

Does anyone here know anything about the reliability of "Rabbi Barnett Hasden of Ner Tamid K in Staten Island, NY"?
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4answers
245 views

Do you have to check boiled eggs?

Is it necessary to check hard or soft boiled eggs for blood spots? I've never seen anyone do it, so perhaps it is not, but if so, why?
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4answers
798 views

Is a rare steak kosher?

If you have a steak medium to rare, such that it's still pink in the middle, is it kosher? At what point is meat cooked enough?
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2answers
242 views

Is human blood treif?

OK, I know it isn't kosher, but what is the shiur? And do we hold "chetzi shiur assur min haTorah"? For an application, what if you get a cut while hiking in the woods; is it assur to clean the wound ...
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2answers
193 views

Is there anywhere in the world I can still get a hot chocolate without a hechsher?

~150 years ago in Eastern Europe, the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch wrote that you could usually go buy a coffee, tea, or hot chocolate without having to worry about its kosher ingredients (or bishul akum). ...
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3answers
98 views

Is there any reason (based on the laws of kashrut) that one cannot brine kashered meat?

On Seasoned Advice, there is a question regarding brining kosher birds. Is there any halachic reason that one cannot brine meat that has already been kashered?
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What is flavored beer vis-a-vis kashrus?

As referenced in Shalom's answer here, the cRc alcohol list here, and many other places, non-flavored, domestic beer can be assumed legally drinkable according to halacha. What constitutes flavoring ...
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3answers
1k views

Which hechsheirim are reliable?

How can I find out which hechsheirim are reliable and which ones aren't?
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2answers
350 views

Do besamim (spices) for Havdalah need to be kosher?

Suppose there is a pack of mixed spices that does not have a reliable hechsher, but looks like it would be good for besamim. Would it be OK to use them for havdalah since you have no intention of ...
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4answers
298 views

What is it about pigs that's so despised vs. other non-kosher animals?

We all hear about pigs being so much more reviled than other forms of non-kosher. This is true in general culture; I believe such a minhag was recorded with regards to using soap rendered from ...
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5answers
385 views

Eating Giraffe Meat

Why is it common practice not to eat Giraffe Meat?
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4answers
190 views

If a product with a Hechsher doesn't say dairy does that mean it's pareve?

I'm not sure when this practice started, but I noticed that many/most/all Kosher Certifications indicate whether a product is dairy or not. Does a lack of such a marking indicate that the product is ...
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1answer
97 views

What are the kashrut standards of the various nationwide (and regional) kashrut agencies?

I'd like to see a resource developed which transparently compares the standards of the various kashrut agencies. Just like I can retrieve an incredibly in-depth comparison chart from Wikipedia ...
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1answer
426 views

Is Vegemite kosher?

Is Vegemite kosher? What hechsher?
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1answer
191 views

Does cheese without a hekhsher tref dishes?

I've heard that Rav Soloveitchik ztz"l used to eat non-hekhshered cheese. Can you explain how the creation of hashgachah agencies has changed whether things need hashgachah, and would it be reasonable ...
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2answers
93 views

Why do we use a tight heuristic for fish egg kashrut and not trust supervision?

I recently listened to this podcast from the OU Kashrut Division on the kashrut of Bowfin eggs in particular and of fish eggs in general, and I learned something interesting about the kashrut of fish ...
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2answers
215 views

How is it possible for a pot of meat to become pareve? [closed]

I was recently posed the following puzzle: You have a pot of meat. You put in milk. It becomes pareve. How can this be? Any ideas on how this is possible?
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5answers
338 views

Which Kosher Certifications are trusted by all?

There are many hechsheirim in today's world, but unfortunately, not everyone considers all of them to be on par with their standards. Nonetheless, I am assuming (and you may correct me if I'm wrong) ...
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3answers
149 views

Why did Hashem make some non-Kosher animals look like Kosher ones?

Why did Hashem make animals like the pig, camel, etc. that have one exact character trait of kosher animals and then write in the Torah that they aren't kosher? If He's trying to trick us, shouldn't ...
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4answers
221 views

Gentile owned and operated Kosher establishment

Are there any restrictions or limitations for a gentile owning and operating a kosher establishment? Are there any limitations or restrictions for Jews patronizing such an establishment?
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0answers
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Can I use Bounty to drain my food? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Kashrus of Paper Towels Using paper towels such as bounty can be very useful when on a diet for draining the oil off of foods. However, I heard rumors that bounty is ...
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1answer
94 views

Animals vs. plants: kashrus

Why did God make all plants, but only some animals, kosher? Sources, please.
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325 views

Does a pot that cooked food with a bug in it need to be kashered afterward?

If one were cooking a pot of pasta or a soup and later found a bug or many bugs in the pasta or soup, would the pot need to be re-kashered after it was thoroughly cleaned?
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1answer
157 views

Why would a product be “only for cooking and pureeing”?

A recent OU kashrut alert that I found on Kashrut.com says: Kirkland Nature's Three Berries: Rader Farms, Inc.: This product bears a Half-Moon K symbol and should be used only for cooking and ...
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1answer
219 views

Worms (Tolaim) in dried fruit

With Tu B'Shevat in 2 weeks, and the Inyan of eating fruits many people eat dried fruit. What are the concerns regarding worms in specific fruits? How do you check to make sure that there are no ...
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1answer
94 views

Pharmaceuticals and Kashrut

To what degree does medicine need to be kosher (not regarding pesach)? Most medicines are a random series of active ingredients with little meaning to the non medical professional - but what about ...
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0answers
99 views

Resources for the Kulot (leniencies) that the Rabbanut in Israel Takes [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Mehadrin vs. Non Mehadrin I am preparing a chabura on the leniencies that the Rabbanut in Israel takes. With the understanding that the various Rabbanut branches around ...
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4answers
466 views

Does a Food Mashgiach have to Sacrifice his Life?

Suppose a Mashgiach of a food establishment is threatened to "keep quiet" about some of the questionable behaviors [for purposes of the question, consider both actual non-kosher, and possibly ...
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6answers
690 views

If a pig was genetically modified to chew its cud, would it be kosher?

If they were to genetically modify a pig to chew its cud, would it be kosher?
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2answers
216 views

Can an immersion heater be used to kasher a sink? Does anyone have experience with this?

Normally, to "kasher" or "kosherize" a metal sink (from non-kosher to kosher, or before Passover), you clean it out well, make sure it's used for nothing hot for 24 hours, then pour boiling water all ...
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2answers
263 views

Is the cat figurine thing a problem at kosher Chinese restaurants?

It seems like all kosher Chinese restaurants have this cat-statue thingy in the front: Is there any Halachic problem with that? I assume not, if they're all kosher-certified; but why not?
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62 views

Can someone swear off something that is already prohibited to them by halacha?

Can someone swear off something that is already prohibited to them? For instance: "I swear I won't eat non-kosher."
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1answer
125 views

How to prevent holes when double wrapping food?

When cooking milk in a meat oven (or kosher food in a treif one) I often find that when one wraps using aluminum foil, small holes appear (probably from the heat). I was wondering if anyone knows a ...
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1answer
79 views

Is there an online source where you can check the standards of an Hashgacha?

I am looking for an online source where you can check the standards of any Hashgacha. (Cholov Yisroel, Glatt, Bait Yosef, Pas Yisroel, Mashgiach Temidi, vegetable checking, etc.)
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2answers
111 views

Bishul Akum Technology

Is there Bishul Akum when Using a Microwave being that it is not Cooking as it was in the times of CHAZAL?
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1answer
229 views

Can meat ever be both “treifa” AND “neveila”?

I'd always assumed that if a cow died of any cause other than proper shechita (kosher slaughter), the meat is neveila. If it died by kosher slaughter but had already been seriously injured or ...
3
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2answers
115 views

Fins and Scales

I once heard that if a fish has fins it's enough - and you don't need to find out if it had scales. Is this true? What is the source? Why did the Torah write fins and scales, if fins is enough of an ...
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2answers
182 views

“Safe” Foods in Non-Mehadrin Situations

Given the fact that both Mehadrin and Non-Mehadrin exist, what are foods that can be safely eaten in non-mehadrin places? I.e. they would not be problemaic. (also, assuming Shemittah is not a ...
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4answers
143 views

Is there a higher standard of kashrut for chicken analogous to “chalak beit yosef” for beef?

If I understand correctly, if someone wants to keep an extra-super-high standard of kashrut for themselves, s/he can look for "chalak beit yosef" beef, which means ("super-glatt") the lungs had ...
6
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1answer
201 views

Forms of Kashering a knife

I remember hearing that a knife can be kashered (from being treif) by sticking it in the ground. But I also know you can use the traditional kashering methods - Hag'ala and Libun. I have 2 ...
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4answers
316 views

Does cooking kitniyot in a pot render it non-kosher-for-Passover for Ashkenazic Jews? If so, why?

I've heard of cases where a Sephardic family, for whom rice is totally kosher for Passover (assuming it's checked and contains no additives etc.), cooked rice in a pot. The next day, they invite their ...
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2answers
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Are there any brands of mustard powder (flour) that are kosher for Passover for Sephardim?

Prepared mustard (containing vinegar and the like) is certainly not kosher for Passover. According to Ashkenazic practice, the mustard plant itself is included in "kitniot" and prohibited on ...
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349 views

Kosher symbols on non-food items

I just bought a box of 100 sandwich bags and on the box there is an (U) symbol. This is neither unique nor uncommon. Why do marks of hechsher appear on non-food products? Is there anyone in the world ...
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1answer
166 views

Eating in someone's home who eats in non kosher restraurants

Can one eat at a friend's home who keeps a kosher home but eats at non kosher restraurants?