Kitniyot: Difference between revisions

# The minhag to not eat kitnios begins on Erev [[Pesach]] at the same time that one may not eat chametz <ref> Shevet HaLevi III:31 citing Chok Yaakov 471:2, Rav Elyashiv quoted in Siddur [[Pesach]] Kihilchato 16:footnote 42 </ref>. Although one may not eat kitnios, one may own and derive benefit from kitnios. Therefore, on [[Pesach]] one may keep cans of sweet corn in their property or feed millet to their parrot. Additionally, children, people who are ill, and people whose diet is otherwise restricted and must eat kitnios, are excluded from the minhag and may do so after consulting with a Rav. This halacha is quite relevant to baby formulas and nutritional supplements (e.g. Ensure) which invariably contain kitnios, and are usually used by people who have few non-kitnios choices, if any. When such foods are used on [[Pesach]] they should be prepared in special non-[[Pesach]] and non-chametz utensils, which should not be washed with the [[Pesach]] dishes. <ref> http://www.kashrut.com/Passover/Kitniyot/</ref>

# It is permitted even for Ashkenazim to eat Kosher for [[Pesach]] foods that were made in pots that were used for [[cooking]] kitniyot if it wasn't used within 24 hours. Some say that it is permitted even if it was used within 24 hours. <ref>Based on the Mishna Brurah 453:9 who says that kitniyot is nullified with a majority, the Yechave Daat 5:32 writes that vessels in which kitniyot was cooked are permitted for Ashkenazim even within 24 hours. Az Nedberu 8:20:4 and Banim Chavivim ([[Siman 17]], p. 415-9) agree. Az Nedberu 8:20:4 writes that an Ashkenazi shouldn't avoid [[lending]] his pots to a Sephardi on [[Pesach]].

# Kitnios is batel b’rov, which means that if someone accidentally put kitnios into their [[Pesach]] food, the food is b’dieved permitted assuming the food contains more non-kitnios than kitnios <ref> Rema 453:1 as per Mishna Brurah 453:9, Pri Chadash 453:1, Elya Rabbah 453:4, Shulchan Aruch Harav 453:5, Chayei Adam 127:1, Az Nedberu 8:20:4. </ref>. This means that although the food may have a pronounced taste of kitnios, the food is permitted (unless there are recognizable pieces of kitnios which haven’t been removed). Therefore, if a beverage is sweetened with aspartame made of kitnios shenishtaneh, even those people who hold that aspartame is forbidden (as explained above) may drink the beverage because the aspartame is batel b’rov in the other ingredients. Similarly, we have seen that there is a disagreement as to whether fenugreek is kitnios. Nonetheless, even those who follow the strict approach may consume maple syrup which is flavored with fenugreek (as it often is) because it is batel b’rov. Thus, although we’ve seen a number of disagreements as to whether certain foods are or aren’t kitnios, those disagreements are limited to one who wants to consume the actual item (or a hashgachah certifying someone else who is intentionally putting the ingredient into a food), but these disagreements rarely affect consumers. <ref> http://www.kashrut.com/Passover/Kitniyot/</ref>

# Some say that new tablecloths which may have been ironed with clothing starch, which could be made from Kitniyot, should be laundered in hot water in order to remove the starch. <ref>Nitei Gavriel ([[Pesach]] 77:17)</ref>