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xiphiasSo, I've been wanting to do some stuff with molecular mixology that involves gelatin.
But we keep kosher at home. So, if I'm going to experiment here at home, I'll have to do stuff using kosher gelatin. No problem, right? I've seen KoJel in the stores.
Um. No, KoJel is actually made of carrageenan, which, like agar, has somewhat different properties than gelatin. And slightly different properties than agar, although they're apparently close. But it's not gelatin.
Gelatin is an animal-based product, entirely. It's a form of proteins
Okay, what about fish-based gelatin? It looks like it's manufactured, but I can't find anywhere that sells it to end consumers like me -- it's used in the production of kosher marshmallows, but that's about it.
So, let's check the actual kashrut issues.
OMFG. NOW we're into actual crazy-making territory. You've got people arguing that gelatin made from pigs IS kosher to be used, even in dairy meals, but you can't use gelatin made from kosher fish in meat meals. Um. Yeah. We're WAY outside the realm of common sense here. (Well, see, the prohibition is against MEAT from non-kosher animals, but gelatin is made from pig hides, which aren't edible, and therefore there is no prohibition. And, see, since it's not meat, you can mix it with dairy. However, there is a rabbinic principle in some communities that, although it's not treif, one should be careful about not mixing fish and meat, and THAT prohibition still stands even though the gelatin is not meat.
We are definitely well into WTF!? territory here.
I swear, the easiest thing for me to do will be to wait for my mother to get smicha, and then as HER for a ruling. I could ask a different rabbi, I suppose, but, well, I think it would be funnier to make Mom have to deal with it.
Or I can just try to re-work the methods of molecular mixology to use agar instead of gelatin. Be better for my vegetarian friends, too, I guess. Except that some of the molecular mixology stuff uses the re-melting properties of gelatin, while agar, once solid, will never re-liquefy. . . .
But we keep kosher at home. So, if I'm going to experiment here at home, I'll have to do stuff using kosher gelatin. No problem, right? I've seen KoJel in the stores.
Um. No, KoJel is actually made of carrageenan, which, like agar, has somewhat different properties than gelatin. And slightly different properties than agar, although they're apparently close. But it's not gelatin.
Gelatin is an animal-based product, entirely. It's a form of proteins
Okay, what about fish-based gelatin? It looks like it's manufactured, but I can't find anywhere that sells it to end consumers like me -- it's used in the production of kosher marshmallows, but that's about it.
So, let's check the actual kashrut issues.
OMFG. NOW we're into actual crazy-making territory. You've got people arguing that gelatin made from pigs IS kosher to be used, even in dairy meals, but you can't use gelatin made from kosher fish in meat meals. Um. Yeah. We're WAY outside the realm of common sense here. (Well, see, the prohibition is against MEAT from non-kosher animals, but gelatin is made from pig hides, which aren't edible, and therefore there is no prohibition. And, see, since it's not meat, you can mix it with dairy. However, there is a rabbinic principle in some communities that, although it's not treif, one should be careful about not mixing fish and meat, and THAT prohibition still stands even though the gelatin is not meat.
We are definitely well into WTF!? territory here.
I swear, the easiest thing for me to do will be to wait for my mother to get smicha, and then as HER for a ruling. I could ask a different rabbi, I suppose, but, well, I think it would be funnier to make Mom have to deal with it.
Or I can just try to re-work the methods of molecular mixology to use agar instead of gelatin. Be better for my vegetarian friends, too, I guess. Except that some of the molecular mixology stuff uses the re-melting properties of gelatin, while agar, once solid, will never re-liquefy. . . .