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Recycle, Reuse, Re-kasher? (EdibleTorah)

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There was a time, which I can trace back to any moment before we decided to kasher our home, when the decision to buy something for the kitchen (whether an appliance or dishes or a utensil) focused solely on whether we needed it or not, and if the price was worth the benefit from the item. (so by my logic a hand-blender is worth its weight in saffron, while a hand-held grater is overpriced at $1.50).

But now?

Now we spend time (significant time, while other shoppers walk past us and wonder what there is to discuss, it’s a flipping crock pot!!) determining whether the materials it is made from not only ARE kosher, but whether the item in question can be re-kashered.

Why do we worry about such things? Because my wife – a good, kind, caring, intelligent, competent person – is saddled with yours truly as a kitchen helper.

Of my (admittedly limited) culinary vocabulary, the term I used most often is “oops”. Since converting our kitchen, the second most used phrase is “I’ll just put that over here now.”. I’m pretty sure the pot we use to kasher objects (coveted by many, apparently) is going to melt due to repeated heating/cooling as I re-boil items on an almost nightly basis.

For this reason, I’m not allowed anywhere near the new teflon pans and baking sheets. My wife is considering the purchase of cast iron cookware, not because she thinks it will prepare food better, but because it will be easier to fix when I mess it up.

Of course, I think she forgot that those have to be kashered with a blowtorch.

Now THAT is what I call cooking with gas!

This post comes from EdibleTorah @ NewKosher and can be found here.

Same Time Next Year (Saying Goodbye To Unkosher Plates)

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Kashering your house often involves saying “goodbye” to things. So Long to (pork) sausage. Cheerio to cheeseburgers. sayonara to shrimp. Toodeloo to… well, you get the idea.

But kashrut doesn’t stop at the food itself. It also includes the items you cook food with and serve that food on. The less porous the substance, the more “resistant” (from a kosher perspective) it is. Stainless steel is good. Glass is better. Plastic is only so-so. And at the bottom of the pile, so to speak, are items made from ceramics.

As we worked our way through our kitchen with Rabbi SpiceRock, making note of things that couldn’t be kashered (All the teflon had to go, as did a host of Tupperware), we came to a small collection of  serving pieces – platters, trays and bowls that we had inherited from a beloved aunt. All of them were not kosher, nor could they BE kashered – at least according to the regular means (boiling, baking or blowtorching).

Our distress was visible, and the Rabbi picked up on it right away.

“You use these a lot?” he asked.

“Well, not every day.” replied Pandora. “But enough. And we can’t just get rid of them. I guess we could put them up on a shelf or something.”

“Could you get by without them for a year?” the Rabbi asked.

At the heart of his question was a process (described here) where you leave a ceramic item unused for 12 months. As long as the item is not falling apart (ie: as long as it’s not cracked, or that the glaze isn’t flaking off, etc) then after  one year it is considered kosher.

We’ve moved before – many times actually – so the process of boxing up a part of our life is not new to us. But I have to admit this felt different, almost like loading up a time capsule before sealing it away. I’m tempted to have the kids write letters and pictures to themselves, to be read a year from now, describing our life and feelings at the start of this leg in our Jewish Journey; wondering how our eyes will read it when we’ve had 12 months of kosher living under our belts.

Meanwhile, a piece of our heart sits bubble-wrapped and boxed in a corner of the basement, waiting.

This post comes from EdibleTorah at NewKosher and was originally posted here. Photo credited to Dixie Longate.

Kosher Your Kitchen

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Kashering a kitchen is a very easy process based on thoughtful cleaning.

Similar to the Buddhist practice of working meditation (zazen), kashering includes:

  • Cleaning a kitchen fully
  • Immersing cooking and eating utensils in a hot pot of water (mikvah)
  • Heating cooking surfaces for one hour, including stoves, ovens and grills
  • Taking the utensils to the mikvah for a spiritual cleansing

Step 1: Get Organized

Simplification is a great way to start the kosher process. You’re planning a new eating life — so why not have a new kitchen, too? Getting rid of clutter, difficult-to-clean gadgets that you never use, decorations that are supposed to hold food, but somehow never do…these are all great ways to clear your mind and put yourself in the right place before taking on this new lifestyle.

Step 2: Clean Your Kitchen

There’s no magical way to clean your kitchen. But thanks to Martha Stewart, we can offer a few tips. Make sure that everything is clean, including all your dishes and utensils that you plan to kasher.

Step 3: Koshering!

There are a few ways to kosher your kitchen including:

  • Blowtorch: heating a pan or cooking surface until it is “red hot”. A great tip for this is to wrap your cooking item in kosher aluminum foil before you start
  • Oven: heat metal hot enough in an oven that it reaches 451 degrees (the temperature that paper burns). Self-cleaning cycle on an oven reaches this temperature, so this is a simple way to kosher
  • Hot Water: boiling a large pot of water, then placing individual items like flatware, plates, glassware, etc. one at a time. You can also use this same method for sinks, counter tops, and other large areas that can’t be heated through fire; just pour the hot water from the pot on the surface

No matter which method you use for which item, make sure that you follow normal safety procedures!

Step 4: Mikvah

Once the kitchen utensils have been cleaned and heated, it’s time to take them to the mikvah for a “spiritual cleaning”.

A mikvah is a natural, stationary body of water including lakes and oceans. Also, many communities have formal mikvahs inside synagogues. Whether you choose to go something outdoors or a formal setting doesn’t matter. Pick what is meaningful to you!

Here are the steps:

  • Place all the items on a wire screen, or a mesh bag. The goal is to make sure that they are completely submerged and completely touched by the water. If you go to an indoor mikvah, the mikvah attendants will usually have these kind of items. Call ahead, just to double check.
  • Say the blessing:

Baruch atah Adonai Elohainu melech ha olam asher kidshanu bemitzvotav vitzivanuh al tevilat kelim.

Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the immersion of a vessel [or vessels].

  • If you are in an indoor mikvah that is also used for ritual immersion by people, then out of respect, say the blessing in the room next to the mikvah, and not the mikvah room itself. If you are using something outdoors, then you can say it anywhere.
  • Remaining silent, dip the utensils. And you’re done!

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