Importing Sourdough Starter?
Hey All,
I've been lurking around here for quite some time and it's an awesome site. Thanks for all the incredible info.
I have an interesting question:
I live in Japan and have managed to cultivate a sourdough culture in the heart of a city. I am moving back to the States in about 2 months and would love to keep my Japanese sourdough, for the novelty more than anything else.
Now my question: Am I going to have trouble bringing my sourdough starter on the plane? I would probably just store it in my suitcase. I think to make sure it's strong and ready for the trip, I would refresh the starter before leaving and check on it upon arriving and see if it needs another refreshing.
What do you all think? Thanks again and happy baking!!
Edit: Also, would I get any trouble from customs on an imported product? Or is it one of those "best not to mention it" things?
I would paint it onto parchment paper.... dry it out and then fold it up and wrap it tight and put it in a ziplock bag... and then rehydrate it when I get moved.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/25422/prepping-starter-travel
For moving from the West Coast of America to the UK I put 1/2 cup of just fed starter in a lightly greased plastic bag, squeezed out the air and tied the bag at the top so it would have plenty of room to expand. I put this into a 2nd plastic bag, just in case and put the whole thing in my checked in luggage. It was ready to use on arrival. I didn't declare it! Patsy
And here's Paul's follow-up post, outlining how he got on when he got home:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/25714/rehydrating-dried-starter-after-traveling
Fantastic info!
Thanks everyone!