You put the lime in the clabber and mix it all up

Hum, well that title isn't quite as catchy as the old song, but it does bring me to the question I was asked about which kind lime I use in my milk paint.  Was it the citrus fruit or the quarried rock?  That's a fair question because some simple recipes for milk paint use store bought, pasteurized milk and then sour it with lemon juice or vinegar. This causes the whey to fall out of the milk leaving the curds.  (At this point you might have to decide to use those curds as paneer cheese popular in curry dishes or continue on to make paint).

photo of my open bag

The kind of lime I add to clabber is known as slaked lime, or hydrolyzed lime or S-type Lime  Caution:  It is NOT quicklime! Quicklime is a caustic alkali which is dangerous to handle and will cause nasty chemical burns.  Now, Quicklime and slaked lime are sold near one another in the construction isle of the big box lumber store, and they are of the same source.  Slaked lime has been soaked in water (slaked or hydrolyzed) and is non-toxic. However, care should be taken to not breath dust.  I find I must handle it with gloves or it dries skin out.  


     In times past, farm wives would crisp vegetables prior to pickling by soaking them first in the slaked lime.  This is no longer an approved food preserving method.