{"id":312,"date":"2013-08-15T17:50:47","date_gmt":"2013-08-15T17:50:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.star-k.org\/articles\/?p=312"},"modified":"2025-12-16T16:57:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T16:57:05","slug":"keeping-kosherand-staying-kosher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.star-k.org\/articles\/articles\/keeping-kosher\/312\/keeping-kosherand-staying-kosher\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping Kosher\u2026and Staying Kosher!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s one thing to keep kosher; it\u2019s quite another thing to stay kosher! Kashrus mix-ups are inevitable, even in the most scrupulous of kosher homes. So, when in doubt about a mix-up, don\u2019t feel bad or embarrassed about asking a shaila <\/i>(question in Jewish Law) of a rav (Orthodox rabbi) or kashrus organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three things are of utmost importance when it comes to keeping kosher and staying kosher: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Being able to recognize the common kitchen scenarios that may cause kashrus challenges;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Knowing how to handle a potentially problematic kashrus situation, until you are able to contact a rav; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Knowing which vital details are necessary to communicate when asking your shaila<\/em>, so it can be answered properly.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Whether you are a kosher novice or you have been keeping kosher your entire life, not everyone is aware of when and how to ask a shaila<\/em>. In addition, it is important to keep in mind that each new situation requires the asking of a new shaila<\/em>, and that one should not draw one\u2019s own conclusion based on an answer to a previously asked question. Your rav <\/em>will let you know if your food can be saved and eaten, and if your cooking utensils, dishes and silverware are kasherable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Examples of situations that would warrant asking a shaila<\/em>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • If you stirred a pot of beef stew with a milchig (dairy) spoon<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • If you splashed a drop of milk into chicken soup<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • If you cut cheese with a fleishig (meat) knife<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      It is important that you ask your shaila as soon as possible so as not to forget the details. Until you are able to contact your rav <\/em>or kashrus organization and receive an answer to your shaila<\/em>, you must set aside the utensils and\/or the food in question. If you do rinse off the utensils in question, only do so with cold water \u2013 never hot water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What details would the kosher consumer need to relay to the rav <\/em>in such potentially compromising kosher kitchen situations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. The temperature of the food (or utensil) when the mix-up happened \u2013 hot , cold, or room temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      2. Whether the utensil in question was last used with something hot<\/em> within 24 hours of the mix-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      3. If the amount of questionably kosher food (or milk in meat, or vice versa) was less or more than 1\/60 (by volume<\/em>) in ratio to the food with which it was inadvertently mixed up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      4. If the type of food involved was a charif <\/em>(sharp food), such as garlic, onion, lemon, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      5. If the type of dish involved was fine china, stoneware or glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      6. If the type of cookware involved was stainless steel, enamel, plastic, metal, or Teflon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      7. If the mix-up occurred before or after the cooking process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      8. If the mix-up happened during cooking, frying or broiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      9. If the food in question was already eaten or discarded; if your question is only regarding the utensils, say so.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      It\u2019s one thing to keep kosher; it\u2019s quite another thing to stay kosher! Kashrus mix-ups are inevitable, even in the most scrupulous of kosher homes. So, when in doubt about a mix-up, don\u2019t feel bad or embarrassed about asking a shaila <\/i>(question in Jewish Law) of a rav (Orthodox rabbi) or kashrus organization.<\/p>\n

      Three things are of utmost importance when it comes to keeping kosher and staying kosher: <\/p>\n

      Being able to recognize the common kitchen scenarios that may cause kashrus challenges;<\/p>\n

      Knowing how to handle a potentially problematic kashrus situation, until you are able to contact a rav; and<\/p>\n

      Knowing which vital details are necessary to communicate when asking your shaila, so it can be answered properly.<\/p>\n

      Whether you are a kosher novice or you have been keeping kosher your entire life, not everyone is aware of when and how to ask a shaila. In addition, it is important to keep in mind that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-keeping-kosher","category-basics"],"yoast_head":"\nKeeping Kosher\u2026and Staying Kosher! | STAR-K Kosher Certification<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It\u2019s one thing to keep kosher; it\u2019s quite another thing to stay kosher! Kashrus mix-ups are inevitable, even in the most scrupulous of kosher homes. So,\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.star-k.org\/articles\/articles\/keeping-kosher\/312\/keeping-kosherand-staying-kosher\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Keeping Kosher\u2026and Staying Kosher! | STAR-K Kosher Certification\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It\u2019s one thing to keep kosher; it\u2019s quite another thing to stay kosher! Kashrus mix-ups are inevitable, even in the most scrupulous of kosher homes. 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