How do you burn the challah you've taken?

6coop

Fri, Apr 30 2010, 1:24 pm

key wrote:

I take challah and put it in a ziploc bag in the freezer and collect all year till pesach.
then at erev pesach we burn it with all out other chometz

I used to do this, but then someone told me that you're not supposed to. I don't remember the reason why (and it's certainly possible that they were wrong). It also took up too much precious freezer space.

An alternative is just to stick it in the oven (if you want it to burn faster turn the oven up really high).

busydev

Fri, Apr 30 2010, 1:27 pm

6coop wrote:

key wrote:

I take challah and put it in a ziploc bag in the freezer and collect all year till pesach.
then at erev pesach we burn it with all out other chometz

so ask a rav who would know...

6coop

Fri, Apr 30 2010, 1:30 pm

busydev wrote:

6coop wrote:

key wrote:

I take challah and put it in a ziploc bag in the freezer and collect all year till pesach.
then at erev pesach we burn it with all out other chometz

so ask a rav who would know...

I should ask, but I find it pretty easy to just throw it in the oven, and after a year's worth of challah it was taking up way too much room!

random

Fri, Apr 30 2010, 2:04 pm

I can't imagine I'd have room in my tiny freezer for challah (I also only do it about once a month, but 12 little pieces is one really big one!). Today I just wrapped it in foil and stuck it in the oven - I'll just leave it in there until I'm finished cooking everything - I imagine by then it'll have to be somewhat done...

6coop

Fri, Apr 30 2010, 2:44 pm

Mrs. XYZ wrote:

Quote:

An alternative is just to stick it in the oven (if you want it to burn faster turn the oven up really high).

Not everyone holds that that is ok.

If it's completely wrapped and not in the oven with any other food, what would be wrong with it?

someoneoutthere

Fri, Apr 30 2010, 2:56 pm

6coop wrote:

Mrs. XYZ wrote:

Quote:

An alternative is just to stick it in the oven (if you want it to burn faster turn the oven up really high).

Not everyone holds that that is ok.

If it's completely wrapped and not in the oven with any other food, what would be wrong with it?

The answer to that would depend on whether you're in EY, where challa is d'oraisa or in Chu"l where it's d'rabannan.
Challa is assur to us, like any other forbbiden foods so cooking it in your oven can literally treif up your oven. In Chu"l, as long as there is no other foods in the oven with it, the problem is different. But in EY the issue as I've heard it from an Israeli rav is bigger. And, for the record, for wrapping to really make much of a difference in this case it would need to be double wrapped.

While I have heard that one should burn it right away, I think so as to avoid any potential mistakes, I do not have an over-stove exhaust fan at the moment so I just collect them all and burn them erev Pesach (We're talking a minimum of one batch of challa every single week of the year...it's a lot)

random

Fri, Apr 30 2010, 3:44 pm

someoneoutthere wrote:

6coop wrote:

Mrs. XYZ wrote:

Quote:

An alternative is just to stick it in the oven (if you want it to burn faster turn the oven up really high).

Not everyone holds that that is ok.

If it's completely wrapped and not in the oven with any other food, what would be wrong with it?

Ummm...and if it's in the oven with all my food for Shabbos? Is it treif? Gotta call the rav...(I knew I shoulda just kept burning it on the stove...but after the fire last time, I thought it wasn't a good idea..

Edited - Just called the rav, he said it was fine as long as it's wrapped. Phew!

reed

Fri, Apr 30 2010, 5:16 pm

random wrote:

Just be sure that it's properly wrapped. If it "explodes" or otherwise opens when you have food in the oven you might be in for a problem.

Another suggestion I heard from Devorah Heller is to put it into a paper bag till it dries out rather than burning it. She says it takes about two weeks to turn really hard. By then it's really not edible even for an animal and can be thrown out. (Same when burning it - needs to be burned so it's no longer even remotely edible, not just burned for a little while cooking.)

mamaleh

Fri, Apr 30 2010, 6:13 pm

When I asked my rav he told me to wrap it well with foil and put it on the bottom of the oven. He also recommended flattening it (like a pancake) so it would burn throughout & faster. That's what I do now and it is much easier than dealing with an unflattened piece. Putting it on the bottom (as apposed to a rack) also helps it burn faster.

Chana Miriam S

Fri, Apr 30 2010, 7:48 pm

you can also dispose of it by wrapping it in plastic and throwing it in the garbage. double wrapping with good foil and not burning it on the same cookie sheet or pan as food is important if you use an oven because anything the challah touches will be made treif.

I know that when I studied the topic, the rav who wrote the book we were learning from advised my chevruta that he wrote it firmly against burning because he did not want anyone to make a mistake, so you should learn the rules of disposal before you do it, or err on the side of caution and throw it in the garbage, also well wrapped.

Chana Miriam S

Fri, Apr 30 2010, 7:49 pm

key wrote:

I take challah and put it in a ziploc bag in the freezer and collect all year till pesach.
then at erev pesach we burn it with all out other chometz

I also learned that this was not a kosher way to do it and have heard that from more than one source.

mummy-bh

Sat, May 01 2010, 7:12 pm

chanamiriam wrote:

key wrote:

I take challah and put it in a ziploc bag in the freezer and collect all year till pesach.
then at erev pesach we burn it with all out other chometz

I also learned that this was not a kosher way to do it and have heard that from more than one source.

And I learned that this is a fine way to do it! I know a few rebbetzins who store challa in the freezer in a clearly marked bag, and my rav said that this is how I should do it too.

And the moral of the story is.... everyone needs to ask their LOR!!