Alum Powder

Alum ground to a fine powder, the mineral potassium aluminium sulfate. It tastes sharply astringent and mouth-drying rather than salty, and it dissolves readily into a brine where whole crystals would take much longer to disperse.

The powder is known for its natural astringent and preservative properties and has been used for centuries in cooking, personal care and traditional practices in homes around the world.

How to use it

In the kitchen it is best known for pickling and food preservation, where its mild acidity helps keep pickled fruit and vegetables crisp and vibrant, locking in both flavour and texture. Outside the kitchen, alum has traditionally been used in personal-care routines and in water purification as a natural coagulant. Technique tip: use a small pinch per litre of brine and no more. Alum is powerful in tiny quantities, and too much leaves a lingering astringent taste on the finished pickle that cannot be rinsed out.

Details

Also known as

Potassium Aluminum Sulfate Powder, Fatakri Powder, Fitkari Powder, Phitkari Powder, مسحوق الشب, पिसी हुई फिटकरी, پسے ہوئے پھٹکری