What is pickling lime

Pickling lime is powdered calcium hydroxide also called slaked lime. It works by introducing calcium into the pectin of the food to be pickled.

Pickling lime is a white chemical powder that s used in older pickle recipes to add crispness to the finished product.

What is pickling lime. Pickling lime is a white chemical powder that s used in older pickle recipes to add crispness to the finished product. It works by introducing calcium into the pectin of the food to be pickled. Pickling lime is an ingredient used in the pickling process to preserve vegetables such as cucumbers.

The purpose of food grade lime is to preserve the pickles firmness and a similar firming agent alum is sometimes used instead of lime in some pickling recipes. Pickling lime helps to improve the firmness of pickles by introducing calcium that reinforces the pectin in the vegetable being pickled. In using it a vegetable such as cucumber is soaked first in water mixed with the pickling lime for up to a day then rinsed thoroughly at least 3 times before the actual pickling process begins.

Pickling lime is powdered calcium hydroxide also called slaked lime. It should not be confused with industrial quick lime burnt lime or agricultural lime which are toxic. You can buy pickling lime at the grocery store in the pickling section or online.

Pickling lime is calcium hydroxide. It s also called food grade lime because in making the calcium hydroxide the processors make sure that the process remains pure and doesn t introduce anything untoward e g. It s not done in rusty old bins pickling lime helps to improve the firmness of pickl.