Consumer Kosher Articles
Preparing for Sukkot 5777 – Q&A
SUKKAH Q & A Are there any rules as to where a sukkah may or may not be located? The sukkah should not be located in an area that has a bad smell.1 It cannot be placed under a tree or awning. It should preferably be built on a patio, deck or driveway and not on […]
Yom Kippur: A Halachic Guide
The following is meant as a convenient review of Halachos pertaining to Yom Kippur. The Piskei Din for the most part are based purely on the Sugyos, Shulchan Aruch and Rama, and the Mishna Berura, unless stated otherwise. They are based on my understanding of the aforementioned texts through the teachings of my Rebbeim. As […]
Is Your Oven Kosher? – Part III: What Every Kosher Cook Must Know
MICROWAVE OVENS Our discussion up to this point has focused on gas and electric ovens. A microwave oven follows the same general principals, but the application of these rules is different because of the manner in which a microwave oven operates. A microwave oven heats the water molecules (every food has some moisture), and the […]
9/11 Diary from the OU Archives: The Triumph of the Human Spirit
IT WAS SURELY going to be just another typical Tuesday at the office. I arrived at the OU’s headquarters– located just six blocks south of the World Trade Center – at 8:25 A.M. and found the other early birds at their workstations. I began to settle down, turned on my computer and was reading my […]
Dairy From The Desert: An Update On The Camel Milk Situation (Or Non-Situation)
A recent Dairy Reporter article about Desert Farms, the US-based camel milk company which is planning to expand its production so as to include camel milk ice cream and baby formula, prompted a flood of kashrus questions, with people asking how the kosher dairy industry will remain free of concern for camel milk content in […]
Consumers’ FAQ’s On Kosher Fish
FAQ About Purchasing Fish
What If Non-Aged Cheese Sits In My Fridge For A Long Time? OU Further Clarifies “Waiting After Aged Cheese”
It is the position of the OU’s poskim (halachic authorities) that one need only wait between eating aged cheese and meat if the cheese is of a variety that is intentionally aged in production, such as Parmesan (must be aged in production at least 10 months) and Emmental (much be aged in production at least […]
Kosher Catering At A Non-Kosher Venue: What’s Happening In The Kitchen
Plan on attending your cousin’s Bar Mitzvah party next week? Or your neighbor’s daughter’s wedding next month? As an increasing number of semachot are catered at non-kosher hotels, it is important for the kosher consumer to be aware of what takes place in hotel kitchens. Indeed, oftentimes guests enjoy a lavish smorgasbord (replete with roast […]
Why Would A Nondairy Product Have a D (For Dairy) Kosher Certification? Can It Be Eaten With Meat?
Among the many questions that come to us at the OU Kosher Hotline and Webbe Rebbe email service, one of the most frequently asked is, “(favorite product) bears an OU-D, but there does not seem to be any dairy ingredients in it. Is it really pareve?” To make a long story short, it depends on the […]