If you’ve been a follower for some time you know that I am Jewish and keep a kosher kitchen. If you aren’t quite sure what this means or how to go out keeping a kosher kitchen, I’ve put together the information below to help.
Jump to:
- What is kosher food?
- Kosher certification symbols
- Common symbols on Kosher food
- Keeping a kosher kitchen
- What is the purpose of a kosher kitchen?
- Why separate meat and dairy?
- What is parve?
- Making substitutions
- Some foods that may seem unclear
- Is wine kosher?
- What is kosher style and it is actually kosher?
- Jewish recipes
- Kosher and gluten-free
- Dalya’s Favorite Dishes
- More Kosher Recipes!
- Questions & Reviews
What is kosher food?
Kosher food refers to food that’s prepared according to Jewish dietary laws known as kashrut. These laws outline what food is allowed, what food is not considered "kosher", and how food should be prepared and processed.
Though most food is allowed, these foods may not be eaten in accordance with Kosher laws:
- Pork: Pigs are not allowed because they don't chew their cud like cows.
- Shellfish: Only fish that have fins and scales are considered kosher.
- Certain Animals: Predatory animals such as lions, tigers, or bears are prohibited.
Note, animals must be slaughtered in the most humane way by a special person called a shochet.
- Birds: Chicken and turkey can be kosher, but birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, or vultures are not.
- Reptiles, amphibians, and insects: Kashrut does not allow for the eating any of these, except for a certain species of locust which you won't find accessible easily.
- Blood: Blood must not be consumed so animals must be drained completely.
- Milk and meat: It is prohibited to eat milk and meat at the same meal or to combine them for cooking.
Kosher certification symbols
In modern-day, all packaged goods at the store, such as cakes, crackers, cereal, etc have a kosher certification to show they've been made with kosher ingredients & in a kosher facility. This is a great resource to look for trusted kosher symbols, or ask your rabbi!
Different kashrut symbols are used depending on where the food is produced and which governing body approves it.
Common symbols on Kosher food
The most common Kosher symbol in the Unites States is the OU, a certification from the Orthodox Union.
Regardless of the kosher symbol agency, many times there are letters added near each symbol to show whether a product is dairy, meat, parve or Kosher for Passover.
OU-D = Indicates that the food contains dairy. Sometimes foods are simply processed on dairy equipment though, such as Oreos which have an OU-D which are technically pareve.
OU-M = "M" which stands for "Meat" is not used as often on packaged goods, but I've seen it on chicken soup consume recently. Most meat products such as deli, ground beef, chicken has a different certification based on their local certifying agency and are typically sold at kosher grocery stores.
OU-P = "P" stands for "Pareve". It can be spelled "Pareve" or "Parve". This means that the food neither containers meat or dairy, having a neutral stance.
Another instance where a food would be deemed pareve is if it simply has an OU without any other indicative words near it.
Passover = Don't confuse "OU-P" with "OU-Passover"! To ensure a food is Kosher for Passover it needs to specify the word Passover.
Read labels carefully at the grocery store as ingredients may change over time.
Keeping a kosher kitchen
Here are a few simple rules to follow to keep a kosher home/kitchen:
The Kitchen:
- Pots and Pans: Separate your kitchen into meat and dairy - Having two (potentially color-coordinated) sets of all pots, containers, utensils, dishes, and cleaning utensils is the best way to go about separating milk and meat in the kitchen.
- Sink: Separate a two-sided sink between milk and meat and have separate sponges for each, in different colors to differentiate. If you only have one sink (like myself) in the kitchen, you can use a separate inner sink rack, sink drainer and sponges to go between meat and dairy products. Don't put milk and meat dishes in the sink at one time. Ask your rabbi his recommendation as well.
- Drying rack: Ideally it is best to have two drying racks to prevent confusion between which dishes are meat vs dairy. If you only have one drying rack try to separate the meat and dairy on different sides or dry & put away your dishes in between washes.
- Oven: Never cook meat and dairy in the oven at the same time. There are different customs when it comes to the wait time between cooking meat and dairy in an oven. Some wait 24 hours between cooking meat and dairy while others wait for it to cool down completely in between. Many kosher kitchens will also have two ovens to make it easiest to cook both meat and dairy in the same day. Ask your rabbi!
- Countertops: In some very large kitchens people will designate counters for either meat and dairy. This is usually unrealistic in most homes though and most people will simply clean their same countertop in between cooking meat and dairy.
The Table:
- A kosher home won't serve meat and dairy in the same meal. A big reason for this is that after eating meat foods a person needs to wait 3-6 hours (depending on family custom) before eating dairy.
- Many people designate their kitchen table as either "meat" or "dairy", and use placemats when they have the alternate type of food. So if my family eats dairy more often, and we choose to use our table for dairy food, then if we eat a meat meal we will put down placemats before eating.
- Be sure to label serving platters as meat or dairy so you don't get confused! My favorite trick is to use two colors of nail polish (blue for dairy, and red for meat) and mark my serving dishes underneath so I can never get confused.
What is the purpose of a kosher kitchen?
Keeping a kosher kitchen will help you prepare and eat your meals according to the laws of kashrut.
It is most common to find Orthodox Jews & Conservative Jews keeping Kosher, but any Jewish person can keep kosher or try it out!
Why separate meat and dairy?
Separating meat and dairy originates in the Torah. Though no specific details are provided as to why, we base the laws off of the phrase along the lines of "You shall not boil/cook a kid in its mother’s milk," referring to a goat -- as in meat cooked in dairy.
What is parve?
Parve refers to food that is neither meat nor dairy. You’ll find a ‘P’ right near the kosher symbol on processed foods like cookies, crackers, cereal, etc that you buy at the grocery store. This P means that the food can be eaten with a meat or dairy meal.
Making substitutions
If you have a dessert you enjoy that contains dairy but want to eat it after a meat meal, you can easily substitute with plant-based options and look for parve recipes! The majority of my recipes are dairy free, so they are naturally
Parve.
Some foods that may seem unclear
- Eggs - Parve
- Mayonnaise - Parve, unless indicated otherwise
Is wine kosher?
It depends! The myth exists that wine needs to be blessed by a Rabbi, however, wine is determined to be kosher based on who makes it and how it is produced according. To be kosher, the grapes must be observed throughout the entire wine-making process by a Shabbos and Kosher-observant Jew. All Kosher wine will be marked with a certification saying if it is Kosher, and Mevushal or Non-Mevushal. Both versions are considered Kosher, but many Orthodox Jews have a preference of "Mevushal" wine.
You can learn more about Kosher wine at MyJewishLearning.com.
What is kosher style and it is actually kosher?
Kosher style is NOT kosher, so be careful! Kosher-style means that the food is prepared Jewish-style or that the meal is made with Jewish-inspired recipes or ingredients.
Not all Jewish or Israeli restaurants are kosher, so if you keep kosher you should always check for a kosher certification. Also, a restaurant that serves only dairy is considered kosher only if all the ingredients used in the food preparation process are kosher, thus having a kosher certification for the entire restaurant.
Kosher restaurants have Kosher certifications that are usually taped on a paper at the storefront of the restaurant. You can always research "Kosher restaurants" online and call to see the Hasgacha (kosher certification) they have and ask your Rabbi if it's an acceptable certification.
Jewish recipes
There is no lack of Jewish recipes available; both online and in cookbooks. However, if following Kosher laws, be sure to read the ingredient list since sometimes there are Jewish recipes that aren't Kosher.
Kosher and gluten-free
It can be difficult to find both kosher and gluten-free recipes online, but now you need not worry, I am here to help!
Dalya’s Favorite Dishes
I couldn’t publish a post about Kosher food without sharing a few of my favorite recipes. This Easy Tuna Pesto Pasta is the perfect 30-minute meal for a busy weeknight. And these Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies are great for dessert.
For Shabbat, I often make these Chicken Thighs With Tomatoes and Olives and this Broccoli Crunch Salad. I love making this Best Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake with dairy-free ingredients to finish off our meal.
More Kosher Recipes!
I am sharing this post to share what Kosher is but in no way am I saying you should keep kosher! If you're Jewish or working on the conversion process and want to try it out, I thought this guide could be helpful.
Also, please consult any questions with your Rabbi. I shared general information that I believe is universally accurate regarding Kashrut, but please consult your Rabbi if you're unsure about anything and have more questions!
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