Can I use baking soda instead of lye?

It's not lye, but it's strong enough to irritate. Baked soda is also strong enough to make a good lye substitute for pretzels.
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Is lye and baking soda the same?

Lye is a stronger alkaline than baking soda or sodium bicarbonate, with a pH reading ranging from around 13 to 14. Its base of sodium hydroxide is created commercially by the electrolysis of sodium chloride solution, as well as reacting calcium hydroxide with sodium carbonate, according to the FDA.
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What can I substitute lye with?

Here are some great options for melt and pour soap bases:
  • Goat's Milk Soap Base.
  • Shea Butter Soap Base - this one seems to perform very well and has great reviews.
  • Glycerin Soap Base.
  • Cocoa Butter Soap Base.
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What can I use instead of lye for pretzels?

Baked soda does a much better job of approximating true lye-dipped pretzels. Just dissolve 2/3 cup (about 100 grams) in 2 cups of water, immerse the formed raw pretzels in this solution for three to four minutes, rinse off the excess dipping solution in a large bowl of plain water, and bake. So there you have it!
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Can I use baking powder to make lye water?

In a medium pot, add 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. (I used the cup for dry ingredients and not the cup for liquid or pitcher style). Bring it to a boil over high heat for about 5 minutes. Make sure to use a shallow pot so it will not overflow and do not leave it unattended.
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Making Soap With Baking Soda Instead Of Lye



What can I use instead of lye in soap?

The main way that you can make soap without handling lye is by using melt-and-pour soap. The part of it that's real soap has already been through saponification (oils reacting with lye) and is safe to use and handle straight out of the package.
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What is the substitute of lye water in kutsinta?

It was said that lye water is not healthy for you; so make your own lye water substitute. Mix 2 teaspoons baking soda with 1 cup of water and boil. Let cool and use.
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How do you make lye from baking soda?

You only need two ingredients for homemade lye water: Baked baking soda and water. Mix them at a 1:4 ratio. Then you're ready to use it!
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How do you make homemade lye?

To make lye in the kitchen, boil the ashes from a hardwood fire (soft woods are too resinous to mix with fat) in a little soft water, rainwater is best, for about half an hour. Allow the ashes to settle to the bottom of the pan and then skim the liquid lye off the top.
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Is it safe to bake baking soda?

Heating baking soda makes it transform from sodium bicarbonate into sodium carbonate, which is a stronger alkaline salt. Baked baking soda is useful for applications in which a strong alkaline salt is required, such as in making ramen noodles.
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Can you make homemade soap without lye?

NO, chemically-speaking, soap itself cannot be made without lye. Soap is made by blending oils (like olive oil or coconut oil), a liquid (water, goat's milk, etc.), and an alkali (lye). Lye is needed to convert oils into soap.
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What does lye do in baking?

The lye breaks down some of the proteins on the outside of the dough and speeds up the whole baking process. And since nothing else really gets as basic as lye, few other compounds are as effective as getting that texture.
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Where do I get lye?

Craft stores carry lye for soapmaking. There is also food-grade sodium hydroxide, sold in some specialty cooking stores. You can find sodium hydroxide online. You can purchase it at Amazon as sodium hydroxide or lye, pure lye drain opener, caustic soda, and pure or food-grade sodium hydroxide.
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How do you make soap base without lye?

Ingredients needed:
  1. ¼ tsp aloe vera powder.
  2. ¼ tsp spirulina or chlorella powder, for color.
  3. 1 tsp water.
  4. 12 oz (340 g) aloe soap base, cut into 1″ (2.5-cm) cubes.
  5. 4 oz (113 g) shea butter or goat's milk soap base, cut into 1″ (2.5-cm) cubes.
  6. ½ tsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch.
  7. 2 tsp (10 ml) aloe vera gel.
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How do you make lye with salt?

Dissolve 1 tablespoon (17 grams) of salt in 1.24 cups (290 mL) of water. Add the water to a glass and gently pour the salt into the water. Stir it in well with a spoon until the salt is completely dissolved. If your cup has a lid, attach it after adding the salt and shake it up and down to mix the salt it in.
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Why is lye used in soap?

Without lye, the oils in your recipe would stay oils. Nothing would happen to them. A chemical change involving lye must happen in order to create soap.
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What happens if you heat up baking soda?

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), is a chemical that can undergo a decomposition reaction when heated. At temperatures above 176 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius), sodium bicarbonate starts to break down into three compounds, forming sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
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Is lye the same as caustic soda?

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as caustic soda or lye, is a highly versatile substance used in a variety of manufacturing processes. Sodium hydroxide is a co-product of chlorine production.
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Why do you need lye water for kutsinta?

Food grade Lye water is a strong alkaline solution used in various cooking processes such as curing and baking. As a key ingredient in making kutsinta or pichi-pichi as well in Chinese moon cakes, bagels, pretzels, and ramen noodles, it raises the ph level of the dough for a richer color and a springy texture.
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Is lye water poisonous?

Lye water (sometimes called 'Lime Water') is a strong (caustic) liquid that is safe to use in very small amounts in cooking, but it can be dangerous if lye water is swallowed undiluted straight from the bottle. It can cause severe corrosive burns to the throat, oesophagus and stomach with permanent damage if swallowed.
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Can lye be found naturally?

A lye is a metal hydroxide traditionally obtained by leaching wood ashes, or a strong alkali which is highly soluble in water producing caustic basic solutions.
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Is lime and lye the same?

While lime is more alkaline than soda ash, when reacted together they produce a stronger alkali than either of the two separately. Synonyms for lye are caustic soda, and sodium hydroxide. It remains one of the most important alkalis in modern chemical industry though it is no longer manufactured from lime and soda ash.
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Is lye illegal?

Because lye is used to make illegal drugs, it's harder to buy large quantities than in the past. However, small containers are available in stores and online.
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How was lye made in the old days?

They obtained their lye from wood ash, which contains the mineral potash, also known as lye, or more scientifically, potassium hydroxide. In early days, folks would put wood ashes in barrels, hollowed-out logs, or V-shaped troughs lined with hay.
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