# WHAT THE HECK? -LYE?!?!?!



## rupertspal42 (May 9, 2009)

FOOD GRADE LYE?!?! It's used for pretzels!??!?! I thought this stuff was dangerous!!!!!! BUT WE EAT IT?!?!?!? EXXPPLLAAIINNNN!!!!! :?


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## Guest (May 9, 2009)

You made me look   . I am kinda shocked , food grade lye , wear protection and goggles? I can't find an explanation though, why it is used in pretzels . Weird!!

Kitn


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## rupertspal42 (May 9, 2009)

I know I was caught off guard.. I don't understand..  :?  :cry:


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## kslo78 (May 9, 2009)

I've always wondered what the difference between industrial and food grade lye is.


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## rupertspal42 (May 9, 2009)

Like wise we need an expert... EEXXPPEERRRTTT!!!


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## SimplyE (May 9, 2009)

It is also used for curing olives


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## rupertspal42 (May 9, 2009)

how though? what makes food grade different? I need answers!!


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## Stacykins (May 9, 2009)

It can also be used for bagels


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## Guest (May 9, 2009)

Stacykins said:
			
		

> It can also be used for bagels



Yes , but how and why .lol

Kitn


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## carebear (May 9, 2009)

in pretzels and bagels it give the outside that shiny look and modifies the flavor a bit. 

it's used in a ton of things as a pH modifier as well.


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## rupertspal42 (May 10, 2009)

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I see now!! Kitn we have answers finally!


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## Guest (May 10, 2009)

yeah !! i still don't understand why lye .doh


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## rupertspal42 (May 11, 2009)

I guess the chemicals in it is what does it.. i'm assuming the lye is one of the special chems that just does it for the food like vinager (is that how you spell that..?)


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## busymammaof3 (May 11, 2009)

It sure doesn't make me want to eat pretzels or bagels anymore. LOL
Of course, if we knew EVERYTHING that's put into our foods before they're packaged...we'd probably die of shock. ;0)


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## rupertspal42 (May 11, 2009)

Oh I know right.. my mom is a hippie so i've been brought up on a lot of organic and natural food but I still love my soft pretzels n' all mmm


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## busymammaof3 (May 11, 2009)

Me too. Haven't had any in a while. But they are soo good, salted and with cheddar cheese dip on the side. YUM!


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## rupertspal42 (May 11, 2009)

Oh I know, i've been overseas for the past year and will be returning home and i told my mom to get the kitchen ready because i'm going to eat her outta house and home!!!


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## busymammaof3 (May 11, 2009)

LOL Where at exactly? We lived in Germany for a few years.


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## rupertspal42 (May 11, 2009)

<<<<<<< IRAQ


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## Vinca Leaf (May 11, 2009)

Great....now I want pretzels....


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## rupertspal42 (May 11, 2009)

pretzels with nacho chesse and jalapenos!


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## Vinca Leaf (May 11, 2009)

rupertspal42 said:
			
		

> pretzels with nacho chesse and jalapenos!



yummay!!!


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## rupertspal42 (May 11, 2009)

i'm gonna hit up one of those pretzel places in the mall as soon as i get home! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM


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## dagmar88 (May 11, 2009)

Believe i said this before, lye is also used to peel the skin of canned mandarin parts. After a lye bath, the solution in which the parts flow is neutralized with hydrochloryc acid and rinsed with water   haven't had a crave for canned mandarin ever since i know...

even worse, a Dutch specialty, the 'eierkoek' (egg cake) contains ammonia  :shock:


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## rupertspal42 (May 11, 2009)

wth... thats not right...  i'm hungry to...  :cry:


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## Vinca Leaf (May 11, 2009)

rupertspal42 said:
			
		

> i'm gonna hit up one of those pretzel places in the mall as soon as i get home! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM



Auntie Annie's or the Pretzelmaker?  I love Pretzelmaker!!!


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## donniej (May 11, 2009)

Food grade = 99%+ and wasn't made with processing equipment handling anything too scary.

Tech grade = 99%

Industrial grade = ~95% Lye (NaOH or Sodium Hydroxide), 90% seems to be more standard for potash (KOH or Potassium Hydroxide).

Also see Lutefisk... Swedish for "Lye Fish"...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk


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## Guest (May 11, 2009)

rupertspal42 said:
			
		

> FOOD GRADE LYE?!?! It's used for pretzels!??!?! I thought this stuff was dangerous!!!!!! BUT WE EAT IT?!?!?!? EXXPPLLAAIINNNN!!!!! :?



You could use commercial grade for food use, too...it's not the grade that makes it something for food use, it's the purity that makes it SAFE for food use.  There are plenty of ingredients like that, salt for one!  Sue


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## rupertspal42 (May 12, 2009)

WWHOOOAAA That's crazy sue.. I like salt.. haha  and I was thinking auntie annes.. mmmmmmmmmmmmm pretzels...


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## Guest (May 12, 2009)

rupertspal42 said:
			
		

> WWHOOOAAA That's crazy sue.. I like salt.. haha  and I was thinking auntie annes.. mmmmmmmmmmmmm pretzels...



I had my "rude awakening" years ago when I was at a Trade Show in NYC.  The person was selling bath salts, I was buying for my online store at the time [oh yeah...I better get back to my introduction soon!] and I remembered reading a post she made online about buying salt at Home Depot because it was "cheaper"!  Yes, cheaper...and made for melting snow and ice on the roads...not for relaxing in the bath!  The "salt" is salt...but the purity is not the same in Food Grade, or Cosmetic Grade, as Commercial Grade.  The same goes for lye...it's chemically the same between grades, just the level of allowable contaminents is different.

Sue


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## rupertspal42 (May 13, 2009)

oh wow ok that just made 100% sense! Thanks!


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## Guest (May 13, 2009)

rupertspal42 said:
			
		

> oh wow ok that just made 100% sense! Thanks!



No problem!  I used to run the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild so I learned a LOT, from the very best in the industry!! 

Sue


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## rupertspal42 (May 14, 2009)

Oh wow that'd be pretty cool to do.. lol I've been reading about this industry for about 6 months now.. then I found this sight about half a month ago now and really clicked my heels together! This sight has really helped me understand alot more about things that the books make out like you have to have a PH.D...  :shock:


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