Calcium Oxide or Calcium Hydroxide

I've been flicking through the Mugaritz cookbook, and the recipes Dry Tomato Salad (p192) and Prunes (p202) require Calcium Oxide. In both cases product is left in the calcium oxide solution for an hour or so, rinsed and then simmered in water or water/sugar for a number of hours.

My question is, do I have to use Calcium Oxide with its fun exothermic reaction, or can I use Calcium Hydroxide, which I can find in any of the Mexican markets in Dallas? If I can use Calcium Hydroxide will it be a 1:1 change?

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Jack_Ostrowski_46259

The mole ratio will be 1:1 but you will have to account for the change in molecular weight. Thus you will need to add 1.32 times more Ca(OH)2. Also you will need to pay attention to the Ca(OH)2 to see if it is a hydrate or anhydrous this might affect your ratios.

Scott_erickson_58981

I just had this same question when flicking through Mugaritz. If you look in the back (pg 251) where they describe different ingredients, it looks like he's may be talking about Calicium Hydroxide. He says "also known as quicklime...used in the process of maize nixtamalization", but he talks about the exothermic reaction in the recipe, so not really sure which is correct.