Table of Contents
Lye-making From Ash
| Field | Housekeeping |
| Went Obsolete | 18-1900s |
| Made Obsolete By | Commercial Lye and Soap |
| Knowledge Assumed | Kitchen Alchemy |
| When useful | If you're stuck out in the bush or doing a historical demo |
Lye used to be made by putting a pile of wood ash in a strainer and pouring water over it so it would slowly leach out lye, which you would boil down into a deep red caustic liquid. This could be used as a cleaning solution or to make soap. I've tried it a few times, and of course didn't get as good a result as with commercial lye.
