I have been reading the thread about alum and wonder what I would
look for here in Israel. Anyone know what it is called here, or
where I would get it?
Laura Cowan
Judaica designer and silversmith
Website: http://www.lauracowan.com
Alum is a generic term for many sulfate salts:
Classicly alum was (is) Aluminum sulfate , Al2(S04)3-18 H2O
called papermakers alum. or Aluminum potassium sulfate KAl (SO4)2
-12H2O or Sodium aluminum sulfate, NaAl(SO4)2-12 H2O, this is
mostly used as a leavening agent in bread (baking powder). There
are other industrial uses as a coagulating agent in water
purification or waste water.treatment etc.
I notice that the cucumber pickle alum in local markets is now
Ammonium sulfate. It can also be a sulfate salt of other metals.
Confused ??? Me too, as I don’t know that it really makes any
difference which is best used as a metal pickle and I am a
chemical engineer.
jesse
Ever heard of ammonia cookies? Classic Danish butter cookies were
made with ammonium carbonate, which dissipated during cooking and
provided the leavening. It was once obtained from the ground antlers
of hart, or male deer, hence its common name “salt of hartshorn”.
Janet