For some reason, I never made the connection between Lye and Drano, until it dawned on me today when I added some lye to the cold water for the "pretzel dipping" (burns the outter skin of the pretzel for that crisp skin and chewey center) in an aluminum pan. Ever mix Drano and aluminum? D'OH!! No wonder my mom warned me about doing it, she always used the wrong kinda pan.. plus the fact the recipe calls for laying the lye-dipped pretzels onto an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet! JEEZ, who writes these recipes??
Posted by Delzell (Member # 1965) on :
So, did you blow up the house yet? Or just suffering slowly? Remember to wash your hands before going to the restroom! Or you will have the same problems you had with your leg
Merry Christmas! Posted by dispatch (Member # 1053) on :
For a little safer way, substitute simmering water with a bit of salt and sugar or malt concentrte
Great for pretzels & Bagels
Posted by Delzell (Member # 1965) on :
But then Mikey will not have any fun. I think that is why he makes them. I bet he makes volcanos too.
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Mike...What kind of lye are you using for the pretzels?
Shirley makes those giant doughy ones too but she uses a lye that her mother makes herself and stores in gallon jars. It is made by running boiling water over the ashes of a certain kind of wood that has been burned. Obviously it is a wood lye and not related to "Drano".
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
LOL!
Lye and Drano are basically sodium hydroxide...a powerful alkali! They EAT aluminum and give off hydrogen gas! Great way to blow up the house!
Mike...use stainless steel, porcaline lined utensiles, or glass/ceramic stuff to hold the lye! Remember, lye will turn your skin into soap!
Merry Chrismas Pretzels! Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
Okay, you guys are scaring me! Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Actually we've tried different dipping concoctions for pretzels and there's just something about lye that yields a better result.
The lye I am using is the same stuff Si speaks of.
Si, I went with a glass bread loaf pan this time.. in fact the very same one I use for my banana breads. 'Cept there was still a little problem. I dipped the last pretzel, set it on the cookie sheet, turned off the heat to the lye solution and set the pan on another burner to let it cool.. there was about a half inch of lye/water in the pan.. turned to clean up the counter.. then.. BOOOOM!! My fave bread pan exploded! It took out a couple glasses and my peppermill (which *was* also glass)..
I was gonna make my sesame seed cookies tonight but I think I'm gonna take a break from cooking and maybe even go out to eat dinner given my luck today.
**Edit**: Mmmmmmmmmmm...... the pretzels just came out of the oven and they are gooooooooooooooood..... well worth blowin' up my favorite bread pan.. hehehe
[ December 22, 2003, 05:07 PM: Message edited by: Mike Pipes ]
Posted by Delzell (Member # 1965) on :
Glad you did not get Holiday stitchs Mike! Sorry about your favorite pan, hopefully the flying glass did not leave too many holes
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So, did you blow up the house yet? Or just suffering slowly? Remember to wash your hands before going to the restroom! ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
Or you will have the same problems you had with your leg ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
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