Preparing a kosher diet is not an easy task. Understanding all of the rules of Jewish law and how they pertain to diet preparation is a complicated process, and deciding which of all the rules you plan to personally implement can be daunting. It is your personal decision how much devotion to the Jewish faith you wish to demonstrate through your diet, and knowing the basics of preparation is a springboard to exploring the more complicated levels of a kosher diet.
Step 1
Locate a butcher who sells kosher meats and fish. Kosher meats come from certain animals--specifically, those with split hooves who chew their cud and have been slaughtered in accordance with Jewish law. You may eat red meat from cows and deer, among other kosher animals. The rules for poultry are more loosely defined, as they describe more thoroughly which birds are not allowed rather than those that are. You may eat turkey, chicken and duck if the animals have been slaughtered and prepared according to kosher guidelines. The consumption of fish having fins and scales is permitted. Shellfish, such as lobster, crab and shrimp, are forbidden.
Many kosher butchers will kosher, through the process of salting, their meats before you purchase them. Because all blood must be drained from a piece of meat before consumption, within 72 hours after slaughter, a butcher will soak the meat, rub coarse salt on all exposed areas, and allow the meat to sit for an hour on a surface that facilitates drainage of blood from the cut. The meat is then rinsed of all salt and prepared for packaging and sale. If your butcher has not already koshered the meat you purchase, you may perform the salting process yourself. You may also broil the meat, the process that includes rinsing and lightly salting the meat, then placing it under a broiler until the outside of the meat appears dry and brown. After rinsing, the meat is ready for additional preparation.
Step 2
Find a market that stocks kosher dairy and eggs. If your kosher butcher is not located within a market that sells additional kosher products, you will need to visit a separate market. You may consume dairy, such as milk and cheese, and eggs as long as the animal that produces that dairy or laid those eggs is a kosher animal. Additionally, dairy and eggs must be processed using kosher equipment. The easiest way to follow kosher dairy regulations is to purchase dairy that has been certified kosher. Most food labels will indicate this clearly.
Step 3
Purchase fruits, vegetable and grains that meet kosher regulations. You may purchase these in any market, but you must first inspect fruits and vegetables for disease, and especially insect infestation. To be considered kosher, you must ensure that all fruits and vegetables are devoid of insects, disease and any dirt before consumption. Unleavened and unprocessed grains--as well as products produced from them, such as cereal and bagels--are considered kosher.
Step 4
Learn the basic rules of kosher food preparation. The most important of these is the explicit separation of meat and dairy. You must not prepare meat and dairy together, nor may the two be eaten from the same plate or even at the same meal table. You will need to keep all preparation vessels, appliances and utensils used to cook meat completely separate from those used to prepare dairy. This rule also applies to the preparation and consumption of fish and dairy. It is also forbidden to eat fish and meat together.
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