Finding Calcium Hydroxide for Tortillas

Food & Drink, Events and Entertainment
1
Hi Everyone,

So I've been craving real tortillas lately. So I figured I'd make my own. The trouble is, I don't have any idea where to find Calcium Hydroxide to soak the corn in order to make the Massa.

Does anyone know where to find Calcium Hydroxide? I tried taking Sodium Bicarbonate, baking it for an hour to get Sodium Carbonate, but the resulting powder just wasn't basic enough to treat the corn.

2
You could ask at a Drogerie. They often have chemicals that regular Apothekes do not.

Or perhaps it's something you could find online?

There is a Mexican food store in downtown Zurich, near the main train station. Perhaps they could even help you.

3
A) Buy the masa at www.elmaiz.ch .

B) PM me, and I'll send you a couple kg (I bought a 22 kg sack recently ), you pay postage, masa is free.

C) Use wood ashes, it's the original way.

Tom

4
Thanks for the offer, I may take you up on it yet. I know El Maiz has the premade flour concoction as well, but half the fun is soaking corn in lye overnight and getting a magically morphed mush! It's like making soap or cheese... or something.

El Maiz doesn't have the calcium hydroxide online, but I'll go in person to have a look.

I also don't really have a good place to make lye by burning wood, I'm more worried about the logistics of burning something for many hours while standing over it, but also upstream from the smoke.

5
Potassium Hydroxide is what you really want (the stuff from wood ash), and I'm pretty sure I've got some somewhere, I'll let you know when I find it.

Actually, I think the stuff I have is CaOH, but I'll have to try and find it.

Tom

6
I have a wood/charcoal grill, more than happy to send you some ashes!

Tom

7
Pfeifenerde?

8
Cat litter?

Sorry, not even close (aluminum silicate clay)

Tom

9
I think my MIL got some for us once at a German Apotheke when we were making pretzels. Have to ask OH to make sure I am not mis-remembering!

Looking things up, I think we used either potassium or sodium hydroxide...I will ask the chemist in the family if he knows where to get food grade stuff

10
Yes, it's used for making pretzels and sils, so it exists here somewhere.

Go to a Droguerie and tell them you need it for Laugenbrot (or Lutefisk).

Tom

11
This:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_bicarbonate

is the stuff that is used for Pretzels.

The Apotheke probably sells it as "Natron" - at a breathtaking price, I assume.

It's something different than what you asked for:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_hydroxide

Do you have the recipe?

12
Isn't that also called Cream of Tartar? I've purchased that in baking sections of groceries in small packets to make meringue.

13
I think you call it Hirschhornsalz and it's sold in Migros or Coop

14
Cream of tartar, as far as I know is potassium bitartrate, from the wine making process.

That seems to be ammonium carbonate... not really sure it would do what I want it to do.

Natron is Baking Soda... sodium bicarbonate, not really what I'm looking for.

Here is one recipe:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-...#axzz2UxFTdLqr

15
Not traditionally.

"The defining “secret” of pretzels is lye, a powerful alkali that gives them their defining contrast between a creamy white interior and a crunchy, dark-brown, lightly bitter crust."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/di...anted=all&_r=0

And again, "laugenbrot" clearly use lye (it's part of the name)!

Anyway, while the OP is looking for slaked lime, lye can also be used in her application.

Tom

16
Pharma Wiki says that pharmacies and drug stores sell it.

http://www.pharmawiki.ch/wiki/index....i%20hydroxidum

If they don't have it on stock, they can order it here: http://www.haenseler.ch/de/schweiz

17
If it is creme of tarter that you want, I have several unopened 140gram containers that you are welcome to have them free - I can post them. Brand name is Dr Oetker and I bought them in the UK.

18
She wants calcium hydroxide (though sodium or potassium hydroxide will work equally well), NOT cream of tartar, baking soda, etc., all of which will not work for her application!

Tom

19
Fine. ANyone else like a few containers of creme of tarter - it's a great stabilising agent for adding to homemade play dough.

20
Hello biff

I'd like a couple of those, please. Thanks. Can pick up.