Tag: Pickling lime

In older pickling recipes, pickling lime was widely used for achieving an extra-crispy texture in vegetables. Its use has since become a subject of great debate among home canners, raising an important question: is pickling lime good for you, or does it pose serious risks?

Food-grade calcium hydroxide has been used safely in food preparation for centuries, particularly in processes like nixtamalization. While industrial-grade versions are highly corrosive, regulated food-grade calcium hydroxide in food is neutralized by stomach acid and poses no risk to your stomach when used correctly.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), food-grade calcium hydroxide is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) when used in controlled amounts. Despite its chemical-sounding name, many people ask, **is food grade calcium hydroxide bad for you**?

Used for centuries in traditional food preparation, calcium hydroxide—also known as slaked lime or pickling lime—is a safe food additive (E526) found in many products, from crisp pickles to corn tortillas. What foods have calcium hydroxide in them? The answer might surprise you, spanning diverse culinary traditions and modern food processing techniques.