Here is a translation of Rav Moshe Feinstein’s famous tshuvah on peanuts and Pesach.

“Concerning peanuts, which were called stashkes in Europe—they have been accepted as being permitted on Pesach and are not considered kitniyos (legumes that are forbidden on Pesach) because all the reasons for the prohibition of kitniyos do not apply to peanuts. Peanuts are not sown in fields (with grain), and even if they were there is no fear that grain would be mixed together with the peanuts; bread is not baked from peanuts; and generally speaking though they are vegetables they have the appearance of nuts rather than kitniyos. And even though I have heard that in some places they were considered kitniyos, peanuts should not be forbidden in places where it is not known for certain what the custom had been in their city, because, with reference to kitniyos, when in doubt one should be lenient.

Therefore you may give certification for peanuts and the oil derived from them, and they will be permissible to the majority of persons. Those who know for certain that the custom of their city was not to eat peanuts on Passover should not eat them; others are permitted to eat them.”

This one is one of our all time faves!

Try it-you will love it.

1 can cranberry sauce (we use whole berry)
4 cups matzo farfel/ferfel
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Pour cold water over farfel, and drain. Mix all ingredients together.

Bake at 350 F for 1 hour. Serves 6

In an article that screams g’neivat hadat, the OU (OU Guide to Passover 5770/2010, Page 14/15) tells us that
a) not eating gebrokts is a popular minhag
b) all on its own, the minhag has become so popular that natural, market born forces are behind the generally disappearance of gebrokt products.

Gebrokts are mixtures of matzah and water. Some people have the idea, in contravention to a clear cut halacha as listed in the Shulchan Aruch, that once cooked, matzah can still become chametz. Therefore some people have a custom to not eat foods made from matzah/water combinations (i.e., like matza balls). Primarily a Chasidic custom, more and more we find that non gebrokt products are all that we see on Pesach.

What the OU article failed to point out is that they will not give their hechsher to any cakes, for example, that are made with matzah meal. They only allow potato starch as an ingredient, thereby making it non gebrokt. To then say that the market is driven by consumer desire to buy only non gebrokt cakes, etc, is at best less than forthright.

The OU article claims, “Based on what is available on the Pesach supermarket shelves, the non gebrokts adherents are commanding an increasing market share.” Wow, is that ever a case of g’neivat hadat! The reason one sees almost no gebrokts products is, as we said above, forces OUTSIDE the market, i.e., the kosher agencies, have made a decision for us. To now claim that the market is driving the appearance of non gebrokt cakes, etc, is terribly misleading.

A friend recently wrote, “I guess that the OU is laying the groundwork for telling us down the road that only non gebrokt is kosher for Passover.” Gosh, we sure hope she is wrong! We don’t, however, hold out a lot of hope!

We all depend upon the OU for so much. It is a pity that they have to descend to such low tactics. G’neivat hadat (one of the forbidden forms of communication as outlined by the Chafetz Chaim) is beneath them.

In Jewish Action (volume 70, no. 3) there is an informative article on kitniyot. Here is an excerpt from Page 74, paragraph titled KOSHER LEPESACH OILS: A SLIPPERY SLOPE

Q: I’ve heard that it is permissible to eat the oils of legumes on Pesach. Is this true?

A: “Some posekim such as the Maharsham… permit the oils of kitniyot (shemen kitniyot) on Pesach provided the the kitniyot did not come into contact with water and the oil was produced before Pesach. …. This leniency is not widely accepted; thus, the selection of Kosher for Pesach oils is quite limited. However, many posekim are lenient regarding cotton seed oil, since cotton is not an edible plant. The OU certifies cotton seed oil for Pesach.”

Let’s start with an observation. The rules pertaining to not eating kitniyot are not found in the Torah. Maran Joseph Caro, in the Shulchan Aruch, wrote that he found this custom to be a “minhag shtut (foolish custom).” According to almost every one the custom of not eating kitniyot is itself a chumra (a stricture), and not a mitzvah.

As a result, it seems to us that it is totally improper to refer to allowing mei kitniyot (allowing kitniyot derived oils) as a leniency. Not doing a chumra is not the same as a leniency. Second, most of us of a certain age recall that in years past, kitniyot derived oils were sold as KP oils, especially peanut oil.

The OU states, “This leniency is not widely accepted.” One wonders- how do they know that? Did they poll a scientifically acceptable number of people to find this out? What happened to make the OU change its own policy regarding mei kitniyot?

We have watched over the years as the various kashruth agencies have imposed stricture after stricture, often times in contradistinction to the Shulchan Aruch.

Perhaps the OU should have said, “We do not want to allow you to have kitniyot derived oils, so we are not going to certify them for Pesach. A number of years ago, a field rep for the OU wrote to us and said that the agencies do not make these sorts of policies; rather they are market driven.

A few years back we read an article wherein the OU congratulated themselves for transforming the kosher meat market to a glatt market. The article stated that they educated people as to the necessity of glatt (we still dispute their logic). Nu? The obvious question is why not teach people that they can use mei kitniyot?

Roland FoodsSM launches Vegetable Tray Packs

- Convenient, ready-to-use vegetable packs make easy appetizers, side dishes or
meal accompaniments –

NEW YORK – Roland FoodsSM is pleased to announce the launch of Vegetable Tray
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appetizer, as part of a salad or antipasto, as a side dish, or warmed and served as an
accompaniment to an entrée.
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