How to Keep Kosher

Co-authored by Kelly Gomez

Last Updated: February 15, 2024 Approved

The term “kosher” refers to foods and eating habits that adhere to the regulations of Jewish dietary law, called kashrut in Hebrew. All kosher laws are derived from specific passages from the Torah, or First Testament, which condemn certain foods and eating habits based mainly on moral and hygienic concerns. It is more common for Orthodox or Conservative Jews to observe most or every law of kashrut, whereas Jews from other sects may only follow certain kosher laws or not keep kosher at all. If you are interested in keeping kosher, it's important to know the specific foods and eating practices that go against the laws of kashrut, and also to get an understanding of how these laws came to be.

Part 1

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Eating Kosher Meat

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1
Eat only mammals with cloven feet that chew their cud. Most kosher laws are centered around meat and are usually concerned with the type of animal that is permitted to be eaten and the way in which it was killed. In the case of mammals, kosher laws specifically state that the only mammals to be eaten are those who both chew their cud and have cloven hoofs. All cattle, sheep, bison, goats, and deer are kosher. Pigs, hares, and horses are not kosher because they do not fulfill both requirements.^{[1]
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- This law about mammals derives from a passage in Deuteronomy, Chapter 14: 8-10: “And the pig, because it has a split hoof, but does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You shall neither eat of their flesh nor touch their carcass.”^{[2]
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- Some speculate that this kosher law came about because in the days of early Judaism, animals such as pigs were more likely to carry diseases and Jewish kosher laws were established as an early kind of health code.
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Do not eat shellfish or fish without scales. In the case of fish, there are several species that are not considered kosher and cannot be eaten. These include all shellfish including crab, lobster, shrimp, and oysters, in addition to fish without scales such as swordfish.^{[3]
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- This kosher law comes from a passage in Deuteronomy, Chapter 14:8-10: “These you may eat of all that are in the waters; all that have fins and scales, you may eat. But whatever does not have fins and scales, you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.”^{[4]
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- Some have speculated that the reason why shellfish are considered unclean is because many of them are “bottom dwellers” who live on the ocean floor as opposed to swimming in the cleaner waters.
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3
Do not eat reptiles, amphibians, insects, rodents or birds of prey. Reptiles, amphibians, most insects, and birds of prey are not permitted to be eaten by the laws of kashrut. These animals include turtles, frogs, whales, dolphins, salamanders, snakes, and birds like vultures or crows.
- Some communities of Jews permit the eating of certain insects, but the varieties that are permitted are specific to those individual communities.
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Do not eat any part of an un-kosher animal. Not only can you not consume the meat of an un-kosher animal under the laws of kashrut, you also cannot consume their milk, eggs, fat or organs.
- This may seem easy to avoid, but in some cases, it can be tricky. For example, many kinds of cheese are hardened with an enzyme called rennet, which is often obtained from non-kosher animals. It's important therefore to examine the ingredients in every product that you buy or only purchase items that have been marked with a kosher seal.
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Eat meat that has been slaughtered in accordance with Jewish law. Even if you stick to eating the meat of animals you know are kosher, you can still break the laws of kashrut if the animal is not slaughtered in a way that adheres to Jewish law. You should be able to tell that the meat is kosher by the label saying “Sh'Chita" or "Sh'Chita K'shera Beit Yosef", or by finding the meat in a specially labeled section of the aisle. It may be hard to find a kosher meat if you aren't living in Israel, New York City, or a neighborhood with a high concentration of Jews.
- An important aspect of the ritual slaughter, known as shechita, is the quick and humane slaughtering of animals. ^{[5]
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- The draining of the blood is another vital aspect of the ritual slaughter. It is against kosher laws for Jews to consume blood, as blood signifies the life or soul of the animal. The shochet, or person in charge of the slaughter, also remove certain nerves from the animal, as well as the fat surrounding the vital organs and liver. Consuming these pieces of the animal is against the kosher law.

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Preparing Kosher Meals

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1
Do not eat meat and dairy together. One of the most important and most difficult to follow rules of kashrut is the prohibition of eating meat and dairy in the same meal. This law comes from the Exodus 23:19 passage, which states that it is forbidden to “boil a kid in its mother's milk.” This law applies to all meat and dairy except for fish, which is acceptable to eat with dairy.
- Different Jews who keep kosher have different perspectives of how long one must wait in between eating dairy and meat. Some Jews avoid having it in the same meal, while others wait at least 3 hours in between the two food groups.
2
Consume grape products made by Jews. The laws of kashrut command those who keep kosher to not consume grape products or wine made by non-Jews. Kosher wine usually comes with a Kosher seal, so it is easy to distinguish.
- The reasoning behind this law is grounded in the history of ancient Judaism, when the Jews existed among pagan communities. These polytheistic communities produced wine that they sanctified to be used in sacrifices to the pagan gods.
- Ancient Jews did not want to imbibe wine that was associated with these pagan sacrifices, so they created a law that the only wine to be drunk was wine made by other fellow Jews.
3
Check eggs for blood before consuming. Eggs are kosher under the laws of kashrut as long as they are taken from chickens or other kosher animals. However, because the consumption of blood of any kind is not kosher, it's important to check your eggs for blood before cooking them. Crack individual eggs into separate bowls and look for blood traces before combining them with the rest of the food you are cooking. If you crack an egg with blood into a pot of food, you will contaminate the entire dish.
- Finding blood traces in eggs is relatively rare, but it's a good idea to always check each egg to be completely sure.
4
Inspect fruits and vegetables for bugs. Before purchasing or consuming fruits or vegetables, make sure to inspect them for bugs or insects. All fruits and vegetables are kosher, but since bugs and insects are not in most communities, it's important to inspect produce before eating it.
- Be sure to carefully inspect vegetables like corn and lettuce, where bugs can easily hide.
5
Purchase food with a kosher seal. As long as you know that a food is kosher, and if it's meat that it has been slaughtered in a way that adheres to the laws of kashrut, you don't need to buy food that has a kosher seal. However, buying food that has a certified kosher seal on it can make life a lot easier for you. If you live in a large city that has ample food options, or in a community that has a lot of Jews, you should have access to meat and foods that are marked as kosher.
- There are several types of kosher seals. Some kosher seals use the letter “K” for kosher or a “U” that stands for the Orthodox Union. The seal is usually under the product name or near the ingredients list on packaged foods.
- A lot of packaged food have kosher seals, but it may be harder to find kosher seals on meat unless you live in a heavily Jewish community.
- There may also be “parve” or “pareve” seal in addition to a “K” or “U” seal. Parve means “neutral” in Hebrew, and signifies that the food doesn't contain dairy or meat. When you see this seal, you know that you don't have to worry about pairing this food with dairy or meat.
6
Keep your kitchen kosher. Very observant Jews take keeping kosher a step further by keeping their kitchen kosher. Having a kosher kitchen means that you keep two separate sets of dishes, silverware, napkins, and even refrigerators to serve or hold dairy and meat separately. Separate dishes and silverware for meat and dairy is the easiest step in keeping a kitchen kosher. Buy two separate sets of dishware to avoid confusion, can consider designating separate drawers and cupboards to meat and dairy dishes and cutlery. ^{[6]
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- Don't use the oven for meat and dairy at the same time. You can use the stovetop to cook dishes involving meat and dairy on separate burners, but watch out for and clean up spills. Try not to microwave meat and dairy at the same time, since fumes from each dish can escape and infiltrate the other dish.
- Consider getting two dishwashers. Orthodox and very observant Jews often have two separate dishwashers which they use to separately wash any dishes or utensils that may have touched dairy or meat.
- Keeping your kitchen kosher ensures that you never run into a situation in which you may be eating dairy off a plate that held meat. Taking the measures to keep a kosher kitchen is complex and can be expensive, which is why the majority of Jews do not keep their kitchen kosher in this sense.

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Keeping Kosher for Passover

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Do not eat leavened bread. Keeping kosher for Passover refers to a separate set of kosher laws that are followed for the week-long holiday of Passover, which falls in March or April. The fundamental kosher law during Passover is to not eat leavened bread, or bread that has risen for more than 18 minutes. Instead, Jews eat unleavened bread called matzoh. The reason why Jews eat unleavened bread during Passover comes from one of the most significant stories of the Jewish people, found in the book of Exodus.^{[7]
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- Jews who keep kosher all year round also follow the kosher laws of Passover during the holiday in addition to the year-round kashrut laws. Some Jews don't follow the year round kashrut laws, but adhere to the Passover kosher laws during the holiday.
- The Torah explains that the Jewish people were once enslaved under very harsh conditions in the land of Egypt. Moses led the movement to free the Jews from slavery, with resistance from the Egyptian pharaoh. The Jews fled Egypt before the pharaoh had time to change his mind about freeing them, and they didn't have time to wait for their bread to rise before they left.
- Eating unleavened bread during the holiday of Passover is a reminder of the hardship that the Jewish ancestors had to endure, and a reminder of how God led them to freedom.^{[8]
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Do not eat kitniyot. Kitiniyot is a group of food that many Jews also avoid on Passover. Kitiniyot includes rice, corn, millet, dried beans, lentils, peas, green beans, soybeans, peanuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and mustard. The reason for not eating kitiniyot is still debated, though it is theorized that these foods should be avoided because they expand when soaked or cooked in water, which is similar to the process of leavening.^{[9]
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- The prohibition on kitniyot is an Ashkenazi tradition. Ashkenazi Jews are Jews with roots in Eastern Europe. Most Jews in the United States are Ashkenazi Jews and therefore avoid kitiniyot when keeping kosher for Passover.
- Sephardic Jews, or Jews with roots in the Middle East and North Africa, do not follow all the same traditions of Ashkenazi Jews, and therefore do eat kitiniyot on Passover.
3
Eat foods with a kosher for Passover seal. The seal that signifies a food is kosher for Passover is different from the regular kosher seals. Unless the seal states that the food is kosher for Passover, you can't be sure that the kosher seal pertains to Passover or not. If are purchasing a food that you think may not be kosher for Passover and doesn't have a kosher for Passover seal, check the ingredients on the back of the product to be sure it doesn't contain un-kosher ingredients.^{[10]
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- Kosher for Passover seals usually say “Kosher for Passover” in English or Hebrew. They can also have a “P” next to the regular seal.

Sample Menu and Foods to Eat and Avoid

Sample Kosher Food Menu

Foods to Eat and Avoid When Keeping Kosher

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I am a Baptist and want to convert to Judaism; can I still be vegan and be Jewish?

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Of course you can be both Jewish and vegan. Kosher just means the food was prepared in a certain way, usually pertaining to meat; if you are vegan you don't eat any meat, there isn't a problem.

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I am a Sikh. Can I convert to Judaism?

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Yes, but Jews do not seek converts. It must be voluntary. The demands on a practicing Jew are many. Study Jewish laws before making a decision like this.

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Is a Kosher diet compulsory in all sects of Judaism?

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No. A Kosher diet is most ofter seen, and is mandatory, in Orthodox sects. It is common in conservative sects, rare in reform, and very rare to not seen in Reconstructionist.

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Keeping kosher is a spectrum and is based on your own relationship with your faith. You don't need to follow each law of kashrut to stay kosher, nor do you have to keep kosher at all to be considered Jewish.

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Some Jews who stay kosher eat kosher meals at home and keep their kitchen kosher, but don't keep kosher when eating out.

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If you are already vegetarian, keeping kosher will be far more easy, as most kosher laws center around meat.

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