Question:
When making a smoothie in a blender, what level of checking is required on the fruit and vegetables that ordinarily need to be checked for bugs?
Answer from OK Kosher:
When making a smoothie, where any minute amount of bugs are liquefied and are botul b’shishim, one is only required to thoroughly wash the produce, not inspect in for bugs.
After washing, one is left with only a safek issur. It is not an issue of mevatlin issur l’chatchila because you are left with only a safek issur and are not blending it with
the intention to liquefy the bugs, rather to make a liquid drink. You can rely on the fact that you washed the produce well.
This only applies when using a professional strength blender that is capable of fully liquefying produce (Vitamix, Blendtec, Ninja, etc.). Some basic home blenders will not be able to fully liquefy the produce and often leave small chunks that were
not fully blended.
(Source: Kosher Spirit)
The din of beriyah only applies to a whole bug.
Having a big chance (miut or rov hamotzui) to have bugs. Do we know for sure that in cases when there are bugs that washing it with water was enough to get rid of all the bugs, that washing is considered a way to downgrade the fruits from miut or rov hamotzui tinto a sofek? In other words, how are you sure that washing or rinsing has even in the worst situation of infestation (that this article implies to include) the power to clean it, in such a percentage of cases that we can say that now there is a… Read more »
sofek issur lechatchila? Is that what summarizes this heter?
I am with you, for someone who did not go thru the system and frum only about 20 yrs these words are useless to me. but BH I learned it all without the terminology !!
After blending it isn’t whole anymore
It’s Botol! Every knows that. Sheesh!
pro tip: it’s a hebrew word, man.
“Liquified bugs”
what about frozen fruit?
in plain English what this is saying??
not BOTUL but Botel.
I’m always right.
#4 – I think you mean “safek”, not “soften”…
If this ruling applies to smoothies, then kol shekain, it should also apply to juicing.
I am wondering why the author doesn’t address the “Beriyeh” issue. A wholesome living organism – say a whole bug – cannot be Nisbatel, because it is a “Beriyah”, it is whole and complete the way it was created.
Only when it is a soften issur. If it is a vadai issur, for sure you cannot by mevatel it.
In the article it explains why its not mevatlin issue lechatchila
What about the concept of not mvatling an issur lchatchilah? Wouldn’t that apply here, especially in fruits that are known to be infested like blueberries and strawberries? Please comment as this is sort of confusing from my understanding of this matter.
Thank You!
Shimon Shak
What if I make it in a cuisinart?