My Sixth Sense
The Freezer Cases Without the Brown Paper
By Menachem Lubinsky... It wasn't too long ago that a good number of the freezer cases in kosher grocery stores were covered with brown paper during the Passover holiday. Now, say distributors, a large number of freezer doors stay open during the holiday. There are many new products, from vegetables to ice creams and even kosher for Passover pastries that are now in the frozen section. In fact, say the distributors, the same holds true for the dairy case where a large number of new cheeses and yogurts can be found in the dairy and refrigerated cases, not to speak of all of the salads that are made kosher for Passover. Some retailers say that getting consumers to visit the frozen shelves can be a challenge sometimes since a great deal of the customer's focus is on the dry goods and on basic dairy staples.

The number of kosher frozen products has risen dramatically over the past few years and some retailers have added many freezer doors (see separate story). New kosher stores routinely provide for the demand for frozen foods, a function of the convenience-oriented lifestyle of consumers. Even housewives that cook their own meals routinely cook the Passover meals in advance, using the freezer case to keep their dishes fresh. One distributor guessed that the number of frozen items that are kosher for Passover has more than doubled in the past 5 years.

While the dough, challah, and pizza may be hidden, don't be surprised to see French fries and onion rings as the variety of kosher frozen continues to increase.