A list of kosher foods

It is not difficult to eat kosher foods if you are dining in your own home. The problems Jewish people encounter pop up when they dine at a restaurant or in the home of someone who does not share their beliefs. There are ways to incorporate kosher foods in all you eat just by following the rules of the Kashbat.

All fruits are kosher foods. Bugs and worms that can contaminate these fruits are not kosher, so care must be taken to rid any fruit of these pests by washing the fruits well. Raspberries, blackberries and strawberries can be a problem because tiny insects can hide in these berries. Soak strawberries in a water bath or cleaning solution, agitate the water to loosen insects, rinse and cut off the tops. Blackberries and raspberries require a different method. You should remove three of the berries, blow on the berry to see if any insects crawl out, and, if not, then you can eat the berries. If you do see an insect, all of the berries must be checked.

All vegetables are kosher. Leafy lettuce, herbs, broccoli and cauliflower have many places for insects to hide, so they must be cleaned carefully.

Grape products are considered kosher if the wines and other grape products have been prepared by a Jewish person. Whole grapes and grapes found in fruit salads do not follow these rules, but they are considered kosher no matter who prepares them according to the Judaism 101 website.

Meat is considered kosher if it is from an animal that chews its cud, and the hooves are cloven. Meats must have both these qualifications. Deer, bison, cattle, goats and sheep are all kosher. A pig and a hare are not kosher.

The Jewish person can eat seafood as long as it has scales and fins. Tuna, salmon, carp and herring are kosher, but clams, oysters, crabs, shrimp and lobsters are not.

Chicken, ducks, geese and turkeys are considered kosher, although the Torah is not specific on why these birds are kosher and others are not according to the article, “Kashrut: Jewish Dietary Laws.”