TIL the original recipe for milk paint was basically just milk and lime

I was reading a book on 18th century furniture from a library sale and it said they made paint by curdling milk with lime from a farm. I always figured it was more complex, but it was that simple. Has anyone here ever tried making a batch from scratch like that?

4 comments

4 Comments

emma_rodriguez301mo ago

I always assumed it needed some kind of binder or oil. That recipe is surprisingly basic.

miles_robinson201mo agoMost Upvoted

Sounds too simple to be true, but maybe @roberth66 is onto something.

roberth661mo ago

My grandma's old cookbook from the 1920s has a similar recipe with just flour and water. The lack of binder is actually the key to a flaky, crisp texture. It forces the layers to separate cleanly during frying.

wendy_henderson217h ago

Milk paint is surprisingly simple once you get the hang of it. Tried a batch a few summers ago for a farmhouse table project, mixed whole milk with lime and some pigment. It turned out fine but the smell was something else, kind of like spoiled cheese for a few days. The finish is really matte and chalky, not much durability unless you seal it with something. That cookbook recipe with flour and water sounds like a different thing entirely, more like a tempura batter than paint.