Yes check the kosher stores
Is there a spray and wipe product that is KLP?
This year the first day of Pesach falls after garbage collection day. If I leave the bin out with its contents "ownerless" before Pesach, can I bring the bin in and use it after it has been emptied?
You have to leave the bin out on the street before the time chametz becomes forbidden to have benefit from. You can then bring back the empty bins even on Yom Tov, you can even put them out (of course we are talking not chametz garbage). Piece of advice: If you ring Waverley council you can order an extra pick up which is very handy.
Are any household surface wipes okay to use? Particularly the Kirkland brand?
Kirkland household surface wipe product of USA should be fine. (Check the OU website)
Someone told me that it is okay to buy packaged fresh or frozen fish if it is bought before Pesach and rinsed. Is that correct?
Commercially packed plain, no additives, skin on fish is ok for Pesach when bought before and rinsed. Of course, it is more mehudar to purchase such fish with a hechsher.
Can we use raw unprocessed cashew nuts and pine nuts?
Yes and yes.
Is soda water from Coles KLP?
All carbonated drinks in Australia require proper investigation due to carbon dioxide being used that is derived from Chametz ethanol production
Rabbi, please describe how to kosher a convection microwave?
Go to our website. We describe how to kosher a microwave. Do that first then turn the convection oven on highest for an hour. If the turnstile table is glass follow the instructions there for a glass turntable
Does the sterilising of dummies rule apply to baby bottles as well?
Yes they can be kashered.
I have previously gotten new dummies for my kids for Pesach but in the hope I can save over $40 this year on getting a new dummy, I am hoping here is a way to kasher the ones I have?
If you can get them clean, kosher by dipping them in the usual boiling water (hagolo) though I am not sure what will happen to them. However if they can be sterilised they can be kashered.
Is buying frozen veggies such as cauliflower acceptable for Passover?
Unless investigated unfortunately not. All frozen veggies are blanched before freezing. Sometimes ingredients like citric acid are put into the water. Also, sometimes chametz may be blanched in the same vessel on a prior occasion.
Is lite milk kosher for Pesach?
Plain skim milk or 2% fat milk it is ok. If there are additional ingredients like powders then it is problematic.
There are no brown paper bags on the KLP list. Is there any issue with using, for example, the Coles paper bags to ripen avocadoes?
Yes you can use brown paper bags to ripen avocado or other fruits . Even if the bag was made with starch in the paper, the starch will not transfer from the paper to the avocado.
Cinnamon and cloves are not used by some on Pesach "according to custom". Is it okay to use, for example, cinnamon sticks for Havdalah especially if they have a KLP hechsher?
One is permitted to derive benefit even from Kitniyot (which cloves and cinnamon are not) so there should be no problem, though some people still have the custom not to use them.
I remember there was an issue last year with pre-washed salad leaves, and I think you advised against using it. Could you please clarify what the KLP position is?
The pre wash may use a chametz agent such as citric acid in the wash. Therefore it should not be used without supervision.
For non-disposable rubber gloves, are the regular supermarket brands OK, so long as they don't state they contain powder?
As long as the gloves are powder free regardless of type they are ok.
What’s the best way to kasher countertops for Pesach? Is it enough to just cover them or do they need to have boiling water poured over first?
It is not necessary to kasher the counter top - just cover with a waterproof covering.
Last year during Pesach there was a discussion about what products can be sold with the chametz before Pesach. In particular, it was stated that there were some who will not sell "real" chametz, such as bread and biscuits. I've always thought that you could freeze bread and lock away biscuits and sell them with the rest of your chametz. Does the KA have a position on this?
Our position is the sale is 100% valid and you can sell anything.
Can a Thermomix be kashered for Pesach? The container is stainless steel but the top is plastic.
It can be kashered but it depends which parts and it is difficult. Please contact the office for specific instructions
Can a pyrolytic oven be kashered using the self-clean function for Pesach?
Definitely but the racks which are never allowed to stay in the oven during the clean cycle need to be separately koshered
Coles have been selling a Shmura Matzah from Jerusalem Matzos. The Hechsher is not on the list from last year. My Hebrew is not the best, but it looks like "Yoreh Deah" and the supervising rabbi looks like Shlomo Machpod. Am I assuming correctly that this is an acceptable hechsher?
Indeed it is Rabbi Shlomo Machpud of the Yoreh deah Beth Din and his hechsher is considered mehadrin. For Seder night I would still recommend handmade matzah (because they didn't have machines when they left Egypt), but for the rest of Pesach the hechsher is excellent and definitely more of a hiddur than ordinary machine matzah.
Is it possible to kasher a dishwasher for Pesach?
I would not recommend kashering a domestic dishwasher. Firstly five days out of the eight you can't use it anyway. The main problem is getting it spotlessly clean under the seal and under the filter plate etc. If there is a great need please contact the office for further instructions.
Are there any KLP coconut products - cream, milk, oil, flour?
There is definitely virgin coconut oil and desiccated coconut available with a hechsher
Natvia is the 100% natural healthy alternative to artificial sweeteners and sugars. Is this kosher for Pesach? What is the position with xylitol? Is it acceptable and are there any preferred brands?
I am sure that one can get Stevia KLP (Natvia = Stevia) but it would have to be specially made for Pesach as there is always a carrier like dextrose or maltodextrin or the like which can easily be chametz. So look in the kosher aisles or store for KLP Natvia/Stevia. Again the xylitol itself can be made Pesachdik, but it needs a hechsher for Pesach to ensure it was indeed done that way
I have read somewhere also that there is some issue with eggs and the ink used on the shell. Is this correct?
Yes, especially as in the last few years it has been legislated that the eggs need to be stamped (something that was not the law before), and the ink usually has ethanol (which dries leaving the stamp behind). However your ever-diligent KA has investigated the inks used in NSW and they are all OK
Is there a certain brand of Quinoa that is Kosher Pesach by the KA?
There is no brand that the KA supervises but both the OU and Star-K have Pesach Quinoa.
What is the status of Quinoa? Is it Kosher this year for Pesach?
Quinoa is an often asked about item. The major Kashrut Agencies are actually in dispute as to whether or not Quinoa should be considered kitniyot. As such there is room to be lenient and buy the Kosher for Pesach supervised Quinoa especially for people on gluten or wheat free diets.
Can one use Sunflower Seeds or Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or are they kitniyot?
Sunflower Seeds are kitniyot. Pumpkin Seeds are a bit more complicated because pumpkin is no problem. The custom however is not to use pumpkin seeds either
What is the position with Chia Seeds and Psyllium Husk over Pesach?
Both Psylium Husk and Chia Seeds pose no problem for Pesach
I've read on some websites that to clean an oven for Pesach you have to use caustic ingredients - like Easy Off Bam. Is this correct or can non-caustic products be used?
Anything that properly cleans can be used in preparation for koshering
My question relates to fresh fish. During the year I buy fresh salmon fillets with skin on at my local fish monger & rinse in cold water. Can I do the same for Pesach or must I buy from a place that is doing fish specially for Pesach? Further, if I can buy fresh wherever I like, can I buy during chol hamoed to cook for Shabbos or must I buy before Pesach & freeze?
The best thing to do with the fish is make sure you see (or ask) the fish monger to clean his knife and the surface upon which its being cut and wash the fish at home and that is fine. However you should buy the fish before Pesach because the laws of nullification apply before Pesach but do not apply during Pesach.
My family's custom is to use horseradish with some green tips on it to dip into Charoset. This year the horseradish I've been sold had the green stems cut off. Is there any general custom in relation to this, or is it fine to use slices of horseradish with the green part cut off?
It is fine to use slices of the horseradish.
Could you advise if there might be any issues using re-usable, bamboo-towels (instead of paper towels) for Pesach?
No problem