Community Magazine April 2012

Rice White Rice: Any un-enriched or organic rice is acceptable. Lundenberg, Rice Select and – very easy to check – Super Lucky Elephant from Costco, or Golden Elephant, sold on Ave. U, along with Sugat from Israel. Nishiki medium grain is not enriched. Most supermarket brands of rice are enriched which involves dilution in starch from a corn, rice or wheat base. Sephardic Poskim have instructed us that enriched rice mixed in a non-hamess starch are permissible. The following brands were checked and are acceptable: Ancient Harvest, Carolina, Goya, Mahatma, Publix, River, Riceland, Blue Diamond, WaterMaid, Success, Carolina Gold (parboiled) and Uncle Ben’s. Brown rice: Any brand without additives. The brand at Costco looked very clean and easier than most to check. Basmati: Deer Brand or any unenriched (2 kinds at Costco). Pure wild Rice: (looks like short black sticks is acceptable without a marking: it is from the grass family, not a legume at all. It has been our custom throughout the generations to check all rice three times before Pesah. While in Arkansas, I was informed that the crops are rotated yearly, and that it is very common to find grain in rice fields. Although there is equipment to remove any non rice pieces, it is not 100% effective. Please be advised that every year grains are found in the rice, check carefully. Salt: Regular (pure) and Coarse salt are permitted for Passover use without special supervision. Check that dextrose and Polysorbates are not in the ingredients. Salt substitute: Freeda Free Salt, No Salt or Spice of Life No Salt\No Sugar Sodas: Sodas must have KFP certification due to possiblehamessintheflavoringbase.Manyvarieties are readily available in two liter bottles and cans. Coca Cola classic and Diet Coke, Sprite: must have the OU-P on the cap (yellow). America Dry; Ginger Ale OUP. Canada Dry Ginger Ale and Dr Browns (Kof K P). Pepsi products must bear a KP on the cap; they are under the supervision of Rabbi Charlop. Soup Mixes: Beware, containers bearing a “P” are often identical to the year-round variety! Soy Foods: while actual soybeans are permissible for most Sephardim, products made of soy, such as soy sauce, TVP and tofu and are forbidden. These products are made through extraction methods that use grain alcohol in the processing of the soybeans. (See Milk alternatives under dairy) Seltzers: Any unflavored seltzer with KP certification is acceptable. Flavored Seltzers: certified OU-P:America’s Choice, Giant, Shoprite brands. Stop and Shop. Spices: Important change! Due to recent changes in the spice industry, even pure ground spices require reliable kosher for Passover certification. Peeled Garlic: Spice World Brand: Star-K (no P necessary) Sugar Pure white granulated cane sugar: may be purchased for Passover as long as dextrose or glucose are not listed in the ingredients as these ingredients may be derived from barley or wheat. Domino brand - OKP. Confectioner’s Sugar: does contain 3% corn starch but according to some Sephardic customs, may be permissible for Pesah if the product contains only sugar and cornstarch in the ingrediants. According to one Passover publication, C&H brand confectioner’s sugar contains wheat starch. It is therfore our advice to use a marked brand, since it is impossible to make sure that there is no mixing of hamess. OUP: Mishpacha and KAJ-P: Haddar brand. Canadian Confectioner Sugar: is also not permissible as it contains wheat starch. Vanilla Sugar: may contain grain alcohol and therefore, Passover supervision is required. Brown sugar: Needs Passover marking: Domino and Brownulated are OK-P. C&H Golden Brown and C&H Dark Brown are acceptable with out a mark as is Dixie Crystal Lite Brown. Sweeteners OU-P: Gefen, Kogel and VIP Masters. Paskez Sweetie (Badatz) and Liebers (KFP) Equal & Splenda: are not recommended for Sephardim by the OU. California Delight has a Star-K P Sucralose equivalent called Sucralis. Stevia: must be marked KFP Aguave Nectar: (a natural sweetener) Health Garden Brand OKP, Wholesome Sweeteners: Blue Agave OKp and Cucamonga OKp Xylitol: Healthy Garden, Natrazyle OUP Teas Unflavored, non-herbal regular tea bags: are acceptable without special KFP. Decaf varieties: should be used only with supervision Due to a hamess ingredient used in the decafination process. (Salada Caffeine free is hamess.) One exception is Lipton Decaf, which may be used without an OU-P Instant Tea: Nestea Instant unflavored only. Regular & Decaf. No KP needed. Herbal Teas: Require KFPmark. OU-P: Bigelow, Sweet-Touch-Nee: Herbal and Wissotzky- many varieties. Melaluca may be used without a Passover marking. G’Day: Star-K P Tomato Paste and Sauce: Passover supervision required. Due to flavored varieties of paste and sauce now being produced, the OK laboratories informed us that tomato products must have proper Pesah supervision. Mishpacha, Gefen, Glick’s , Haddar, Lieber’s and Unger’s - all with KFP certification. Note: Throughout the year, Tomato products should only be used with a known reliable supervision, it has been discovered that certain packers of tomato products were producing tomato with (non-kosher) romano cheese sauce and then producing the crushed tomatoes, with no cleaning in between. Vegetables Frozen: Several years ago, a new lighter cuisine heralded the introduction of frozen pasta and vegetable mixtures. Vegetable companies blanch veggies and pasta blends together, and then use the same equipment for plain vegetables. Further inquiries into the field have led us to seriously question the use of frozen vegetables on Pesah. In addition, companies may purchase processed vegetables from another source and put their own label on the package. Codes provided by the company proved inaccurate, and the information was confusing. We highly recommend the use of fresh vegetables, despite the convenience of the frozen. The most important of all, peas and beans will again be available for the Sephardic Community. Information regarding the questionable sources of “private label” vegetables for Pesah has led us to produce JSOR certified legumes. The peas, peas & carrots, and a variety of green beans will be available in 2 ½ pound packages in the kosher stores for the Holiday with our label. We will also have Artichoke bottoms and Spinach (supervised by Rabbi Ungar, no need for additional insect inspection). Several companies made other frozen vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, which are properly checked for insects and for Pesah. Within the Sephardic Community, there are varied customs as to the use of dried beans, chick peas tehina and corn. Consult your Rabbi for further information. If you are certain that it is your custom, these should be checked to insure that no grains are mixed in. Dried Eggplant: These are imported from Turkey, where they are collected from different villages. The importer informed us that the local women scoop them out, hang them to dry, and then tie them in a string. In the event that there is a rush to get them dried out, flour is put inside to draw out the moisture. Understandably, we can not recommend these for Passover. Japanese eggplant are a fine alternative, they are very long and slender, and can be easily cut in half and scooped out. Pre-washed salad: Some brands use citric acid in the rinse water to balance the ph (to prevent wilting), and are not recommended. Several brands from Israel provide insect free lettuce and herbs, rinse before using. Bodek, Pos’tiv and Fresh Express must bear Passover certification. All fresh packaged salad from Dole bearing a Star-K are Kosher for Passover without the additional Passover symbol. Note: we received information about a bad batches of California and Mexican grown produce that was infested! Buy only top quality looking produce and even if it is marked – All Romaine must be washed and checked for insects. Small flies are attracted to lettuce, even if it is grown hydroponically. (The ones from Israel state clearly that the produce does not need inspection, but it must be rinsed.) If you are using the unsupervised lettuce, please contact your Rabbi for direction how to properly check for insects. Alternatively, our article: The fruit & vegetable inspection guide can be found at www.jsor.org . Other websites also contain clips of how to inspect different produce and what the different insects look like. 2012 JSOR Sephardic Passover Food List 74 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE