Kosher Vegetables and Fruit

This section is all about species and varieties in their natural
state. Plant life in its natural state is always kosher as long as
it isn't harmful (like a poisonous toadstool, for example.)

If we left it at that readers could be misled, perhaps seriously.
We're here to inform accurately about what foods may be eaten
and when. Here therefore, is what you need to know.

Kosher Vegetables? - In What Form?

Vegetables and fruit come to us in many ways:

1. fresh
2. frozen
3. canned
4. dried or dehydrated.

Here's What Can Happen

a) Fresh vegetables - What should have been kosher vegetables or fruit
may no longer be, by the time you get it. Amazingly, the first item
on our list, fresh vegetables, is subject to the most scrutiny.

When I say scrutiny I am being literal. You have to look for
insects. Insects are not kosher. They may be found in vegetables
and fruit, especially the green leafy parts.

The way to avoid consuming them is to do two things:

1. Soak the produce.
2. Examine it.

1) Add a loosening agent - vinegar, dishwashing liquid, vegetable wash -
to a bowl of water. soak the leaves. If you see insects floating in
the water you must repeat the process (or discard the vegetables).

2) Then examine the leaves carefully for insects. The rule is that any
insect visible with normal eyesight in ordinary light must be removed.
If no insects are found in the water and none can be seen after careful
inspection, the food may be eaten. We do not presume the existence of
much smaller, more carefully-hidden insects.

This article about kosher vegetables written by
an authority on kosher food goes into more detail.

b) Frozen vegetables - according to most certification agencies, the
process of freezing does not affect kosher vegetables or fruit. The
ones that, when fresh, need to be inspected, still do when frozen.

c) Canned fruit and vegetables - Canning may possibly be done on equipment that was also used to process non-kosher food.
Some authorities - not all - require therefore, that all
canned goods have kosher supervision. Certainly canned fruits
and vegetables can easily be found with a reliable kosher symbol.
You may want to inquire of your rabbi or certification about this.

d) Dried fruit almost always needs to be certified as kosher because
of the drying process and added ingredients. It's not "just fruit".
The same may be true of nuts,less so regarding grain and beans.
We hope to discuss this in more detail in our "Where to Find It" section.

Before you go shopping, please also read our articles on kosher wine
and Israeli produce in the next section - When May I Eat It?