>
> We were asked last night if our honey was kosher. Searching the net does
> seem to give me a list of what makes honey kosher or non-kosher. Anyone know?
>
Honey is inherently kosher. That is, it comes out of the beehive kosher.
You can, however, make it non-kosher by the handling of it.
However, it is very simple to avoid doing that.
Use only tools that are used only for honey. Buckets, stirring spoons, the
honey press, strainers, jars - whatever it is you use, make sure it has never
been used for anything except honey.
Kosher is about cleanliness, about separation. Since kosher acts on a
spiritual plane, you cannot "cleanse" a utensil with soap and water. If
you have put meat on a dish once, then it is always a meat dish. If you
later put a dairy product on that same dish, then it is soiled forever -
no good, not kosher.
Therefore, the easiest way to insure your honey stays kosher is to keep it
clean by using items used ONLY for honey. If you do this, then you may tell
your clients that your honey is kosher.
(But, you may not tell them it is "certified" kosher. Just as with any
"certification", there are certifying organizations - in this case, groups
of rabbis - that must certify you before you can claim "certified" kosher.)
If you use items that were even once used for something other than honey,
or if you bought items used and you don't know for sure, then you may not
tell your clients that you have kosher honey, because you have rendered the
honey not kosher through contamination.
HOpe this helps :)
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