Please teach me how to check for bugs!

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Forum -> Household Management -> Kosher Kitchen

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amother

Amber

Wed, Nov 30 2016, 2:34 pm

Please teach me how to check everything for bugs!!
I don't know where else to turn. I will be so incredibly grateful!

anony

Wed, Nov 30 2016, 2:46 pm

The Crc has some good explanations/videos. I'm not sure if they have a video for everything but you should definitely check it out!

FranticFrummie

Wed, Nov 30 2016, 2:47 pm

The OU publishes a very thorough guide, and I believe the Star K website has good guidelines, too.

The biggest problem is usually lettuce. Buy flat leaf lettuce like romaine. Don't even think about eating lettuce with curly leaves, it will drive you crazy.

You'll need a large white or clear bowl. Fill it with water, and a good teaspoon of salt. Soak all of the leaves, swishing them around to make sure the water reaches all around. Bugs will let go of the leaves and float in the water. If the leaves are dirty, you may need to change the water.

Rinse the leaves, shake off the extra water, and hold each one up to the light. Aphids look like little green or yellow dots, about the size of a pin head. Caterpillars can be very tiny, about 1/4 of an inch long, and about as thick as a thread.

If you can't see it without a magnifying glass, then don't worry about it. You're only responsible for things that can be seen by a person with average eyesight.

I like to hold my lettuce up to the window, because daylight works best for me. Some people have a light box that sits on the counter, and you can put the leaves on there.

gp2.0

Wed, Nov 30 2016, 4:36 pm

Not everything needs to be checked. That's the first step - knowing which foods never need to be checked, which foods you can check just a few of the batch and rely on them that the rest are okay, which need to be individually checked, which can't be checked but can be eaten frozen and/or ground up, and which to avoid altogether...

lora

Wed, Nov 30 2016, 5:19 pm

if you use fresh luttuce allot, theres this great lamp that will help you get a transparent view of the leaf, you would be horrified to find out how many bugs I find in each lettuce head this way. once you rinse the leaves just spread it over the light and look.
https://www.amazon.com/Checker.....ecker

anony

Wed, Nov 30 2016, 5:47 pm

I use a little bit of soap; I find it helps the bugs slide off the pieces of lettuce. Not sure if this is "required" or not. Ask the lor.

amother

Amber

Thu, Dec 01 2016, 1:34 am

I really appreciate all of this! Thank you!

If anyone else has more to add, please feel free! :-)

Like, what do you do with rice? How about quinoa, which is super tiny? And spices?

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Dec 01 2016, 8:24 pm

Get a thrip cloth, TOTALLY worth it -- available at the Star K, and they have explanations on how to use it.

cbg

Thu, Dec 01 2016, 11:14 pm

https://vimeo.com/90024562

ra_mom

Fri, Dec 02 2016, 1:07 am

This is extremely comprehensive.
http://www.star-k.org/checking
They even have a one page cheat sheet that I keep in my recipe book.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t.....vTOaw

amother

Amber

Fri, Dec 02 2016, 2:40 am

This is OP. I don't understand the cheat sheet - it says that flour doesnt need to be checked...?

Thanks so much! I will check out the other links!

ra_mom wrote:

This is extremely comprehensive.
http://www.star-k.org/checking
They even have a one page cheat sheet that I keep in my recipe book.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t.....vTOaw

Rutabaga

Fri, Dec 02 2016, 2:47 am

Are you in Israel?

AIUI, there are quite a few foods in Israel that are more likely to be infested due to various factors which are not an issue in the US.

amother

Amber

Fri, Dec 02 2016, 4:08 am

Rutabaga wrote:

Are you in Israel?

AIUI, there are quite a few foods in Israel that are more likely to be infested due to various factors which are not an issue in the US.

Yes, I'm in Israel! Please share with me the differences...

Shuly

Fri, Dec 02 2016, 6:56 am

amother wrote:

Yes, I'm in Israel! Please share with me the differences...

The easiest way to learn how to check for bugs is to join a class or buy a book with pictures.
Mrs. Plaut is the expert English-speaking bug checking lady in Yerushalayim and I call her at home with questions.
I just saw advertised that she will be giving another course soon -

Bug Shiur - Mrs. Plaut will soon be giving a 5 week (abridged) course that will cover the most important topics in her longer series. Cost: 250 NIS. For more info email alanahershman@gmail.com

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