Lye

[Scott Semmel]

I have tried to find pure lye in the past with no success, by happenstance I stumbled on a product "rooto" drain cleaner. It labels itself as 100% pure  food grade lye, just in case you want to whip up a batch of Lutefisk, rather than stain cherry. If you google rooto you can find suppiers Ace Hardware is where I found it.

[Bill of the 45th]

Yeah, and if you liked warm library paste as a kid you'll like Lutefisk.  White slime at it's best.

Bill

[T*O*F]

I have tried to find pure lye in the past with no success

Maybe you are looking for the wrong "name."  Lye is sodium hydroxide, aka caustic soda.  It's available from any number of chemical suppliers.  It comes in bead form and you cut it with water to make the solution you desire.

[flehto]

Awhile back I attended a Sat. night feed at a Norwegian Lutheran church and the featured dish was lutefisk w/ either a cream sauce or drawn butter. Seeing I really wanted to discover the first time taste of  this fabled food of the Vikings, I put a hefty spoonful w/o the cream or butter into  my mouth. Started to chew it {it can't be chewed because it's somewhat softer than Jello} and when my taste buds became aware of the "unique" taste, my throat wouldn't accept my mouthful and I sat there wondering what should be done. A napkin came to my mouth and solved my predicament. I firmly believe that eating lutefisk {usually around Christmas} is a pennance that Norwegians must endure because of the "naughtiness" that their Viking ancestors perpetrated on their neighbors. Thanks for the info on obtaining lye.....Fred

[Scott Semmel]

I have tried to find pure lye in the past with no success

Maybe you are looking for the wrong "name."  Lye is sodium hydroxide, aka caustic soda.  It's available from any number of chemical suppliers.  It comes in bead form and you cut it with water to make the solution you desire.

Well I'll be dipped sure is easy to find and its cheap too! One oughta make their own drain cleaner. Can't tell you how many times I have searched google for lye with zipp results. With the speed I build my quart of rooto is a lifetime supply.thanks

[D Burns]

For lye, try Brambleberry.com  or 877-627-7883.   
Wife gets it there for lye soap she makes.  You will have to fill out a hazmat form online, no problem.

[Stophel]

Is it really that hard to find?  (I know a lot of other things are now).  I got my little white plastic jar of Red Devil Lye (100% pure) at the grocery store.  It's drain cleaner.

[Randy Hedden]

Is it really that hard to find?  (I know a lot of other things are now).  I got my little white plastic jar of Red Devil Lye (100% pure) at the grocery store.  It's drain cleaner.

Chris,

That must have been a while ago that you bought the Red Devil lye??  I believe I heard it has been taken off the market.  About the time I heard this it disappeared off the shelves of all the stores in my area.

Randy Hedden

[tuffy]

Any true Norwegian knows that one eats Lutefisk on Patatacocka (potato pancakes). Lay the patatacocka out on a plate, apply butter, add a layer of Lutefisk, roll it up and pass it to anyone at the table you don't like!

Thanks for the info on the lye. Can't have too many sources for hard to find stuff.

[hyltoto]

I use easy0ff oven cleaner. Seems to wet out the wood better.

[Stophel]

I don't know, maybe a year ago I got it.

It's gotten very hard to find virtually anything anymore, so I'm not surprised. 

If it wasn't for the internet, there would be a great many things (simple things that used to be available) that I simply could not get anywhere.

[rick landes]

So if lye is not available is Lutefisk a good substitute for bringing out the grain!!!

[Stophel]

You can always just use some wood ashes.

[Rolf]

Being Norwegian I could not help commenting on our food traditions. I come from the western part of Norway. If you liked lute fisk, you should really try Rak fisk.
That's sugar & salt fermented(rotten)trout. This wholesome dish comes from Gudbrands valley and is garantied to put hair on your chest(or tonsils), clear the sinuses, and probably get you locked out of the bedroom by your wife. On average, about 6 to 10 Norwegians get botulism poisoning from it each fall. It's served with akevitt, a highly potent sprite, distilled from potatoes and flavored mainly with anis and caraway. It gives a vicious hangover but makes the rak fisk edible. After 3 or four drams you'll hardly notice the smell.

Best regards

Rolfkt

[Mike Krall]

I just bought "Rooto" (100% household lye) at Ace Hardware last Friday. It is advertised as drain cleaner.

Mike