Certified Kosher? What’s That?

Posted on : August 4th, 2020

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With summer coming to a close, it’s almost time for people around the world to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the Jewish new year. It’s a holiday marked by special prayers, family gatherings, festive meals and—yum!—sweet foods like eggy challah bread and apples dipped in honey.

Nuts and fruits are nearly always present on Jewish holiday tables. “Rozhinkes mit mandolin,” almonds and raisins, symbolize sweetness and prosperity. Tasty, nutritious and festive, nuts and fruits are also Kosher, meaning they are fit to eat for people who follow Jewish dietary laws. All of Maisie Jane’s California Sunshine products are certified Kosher by EarthKosher

What does “Kosher” mean?

Kosher food laws originated in the Bible. Called kashrut, these dietary laws specify which foods are Kosher as well as how they are sourced and prepared. In brief:

All raw fruits and nuts that grow on trees, on plants or in the soil are Kosher, as long as they contain no additives or preservatives.
Certain foods must never be processed on the same equipment as non-Kosher foods, or items that mix meat and dairy together.
Produce (including nuts and fruits) must be bug-free. (Insects are not Kosher!)
Animals used for food (even honey-making bees) must be humanely treated. (We love bees!)
Some nuts roasted in oils may not be Kosher. (Not a problem, as all Maisie Jane’s nuts are dry-roasted.)

Who decides what’s Kosher?

A Kosher supervisor, or mashgiach, inspects food and premises to make sure Kosher laws are observed. Most mashgiach are rabbis, but that is not a requirement; only that the supervisor is knowledgeable about Kosher laws, observes them and is generally a moral and ethical person.

So what does it mean when a product is “Certified Kosher”?

It’s like a seal of approval for people who will not buy a packaged product that is not Kosher certified. This includes observant Jews and also Vegetarians, Vegans, Muslims whose halal dietary laws are similar to kashrut, Seventh Day Adventists, and those who are lactose intolerant or have allergies and need to know if products are processed on equipment that has touched milk or meat.

For more information, The Spruce Eats provides a nice introduction to Kosher food.

For your holiday table, or anytime: free recipe book!

Healthy, wholesome, delicious, bee-friendly, non-GMO and Kosher farm-to-table goodness; what could be better? So set out a delicious display of nuts and fruits. Make a festive holiday meal with one-ingredient nut butters, such as Indonesian Style Almond Glazed Salmon, straight from Maisie Jane’s own kitchen. Get more fantastic almond butter recipes in this free ebook, our gift to you.

And remember…Maisie Jane’s always wants you to know exactly what’s in your food and to feel good about it. Kosher certification is just one more commitment we make to your health and wellbeing and to that of the planet.

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Maisie Jane’s California Sunshine Products, Inc. was founded on strong beliefs and passion for offering unique, flavorful, top-quality nut products. We embrace earth-friendly practices that start on our family-owned and operated orchards. We use organic farming practices and continue in the process by using all-natural ingredients with no preservatives or GMOs. We believe in honest, friendly and helpful customer relations at all levels. We take pride in every task, every day, with every person.

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