Bruster’s Toco Hills is now completely kosher including the gummy worms. (Other certified Bruster’s stores still have non-kosher gummy worms.)
Bruster’s Toco Hills: All ice cream, yogurt, sherbets, milkshakes, lattes, smoothies, ices, sorbets, ice cream cakes, sundaes, and all cones and toppings are kosher dairy with the following exceptions:
The following sorbets are dairy equipment without any dairy ingredients:
Black Raspberry, Lemon, Mango, Mango Dragonfruit, Peach, Strawberry, Strawberry Lemon.
The following Italian ices are dairy equipment without any dairy ingredients:
Banana, Blue Pop, Grape, Lemon, Peach, Pink Lemonade, Root Beer, Strawberry Daiquiri, Strawberry Kiwi, Watermelon.
Cake cones are pareve, Sugar cones are dairy equipment, and Waffle cones are dairy.
This certification does not include Passover.
From the Star-K: Insects and Rosh Hashanah:
DATES: It is recommended that one open and do a visual inspection on a few out of each container. If no insects can be seen, one can assume the rest are insect-free.
FIGS: Open each one and check carefully for infestation (typically wasps, beetles, or worms).
Checking instructions for dates and figs apply even if they have a hechsher, due to the possibility of improper storage.
LEEKS: Examine the outside for any leaf miner trails. Check in between the leaves for thrips or other insects.
BLACK EYED PEAS: Dried peas should first be boiled in water. After they have been fully cooked, allow the peas to soak in the water for 2-3 hours. The peas will then swell and the peel will become translucent.
Canned or frozen peas may be checked straight out of the can/bag; there is no need to boil or soak.
To check, take the peas and inspect for holes or dark-colored stains as this may indicate an insect beneath the thin peel. If there is a dark spot on the peel, remove the thin skin and check if there is a cavity with a bug in it. (The black “eye” spot is not a sign of infestation. Similarly, orange colored stains on the surface are not signs of infestation; only dark or black stains are of concern.)
Schach: The CRC no longer recommends fencing material (e.g. from Home Depot) for schach “as we have found a reasonable chance this may result in not kosher schach. We suggest traditional schach material, e.g. bamboo poles, tree branches, mats specifically certified for sukkah-use. Schach fencing mats bought previously when approved may be used, but make sure shade exceeds sunlight – i.e. add more schach (e.g. more layers of these mats, bamboo poles, or tree branches) to ensure halachic requirement is met of ‘more shade than sunlight.”
The following rules can be applied when determining if honey products are kosher:
Honey:
Pure, unflavored honey is acceptable without a hechsher.
Flavored honey requires a hechsher.
Clover, Wildflower, Blossom, Orange, etc., are types of honey, not flavors, and are acceptable without a hechsher if they are unflavored.
Honey in the comb is acceptable, but one should not squeeze honey from the comb on Shabbos.
Bee parts found in unfiltered honey should be removed.
Honey Products:
Bee pollen, bee bread, and beeswax are acceptable without a hechsher if they don’t contain any added ingredients.
Other bee products like royal jelly and apis mellifica are not kosher.
New AKC Kosher Guides are available at the AKC. AKC Members will soon receive their copies in the mail.