August 31, 2009 - 5:27am
Storing Dried Starter
I posted this yesterday in an on-going thread, but it apparently got overlooked, so I'll try again. Any advice would be appreciated.
I have a starter that originated from KAF that I have been maintaining for about 2 1/2 years, and right now it is right where I like it in terms of sourness, rising power, etc. So I decided to dry some of it, as a backup.
The drying went fine, and now I have a nice pile of flakes. Any suggestions from those of you who have done this with regard to storing this little insurance policy? I'd be happy with a glass jar, a baggie, a baggie in a jar, etc -- in the fridge, the cupboard, the freezer?
What have other folks done that worked?
Share
I found the answer myself in a post from David in another thread.
I'm glad you found that post helpful.
FYI, I'm keeping the flaked, dried starter at room temp. I'll test it after a couple months. I'm curious about how long it will take to re-activate it.
David
I had dried some of mine, put it in a zip loc bag and stored it in the butter compartment of my refrigerator door. I was shocked when I discovered I had tossed all of my mother starter and even more shocked when I saw the package of dried starter was dated 3/2002.
With nothing to lose, I made a best guess 100% hydration paste with it. It started showing signs of life in two days but only limping along so in the next feeding I gave it a tsp of rye flour and it went ballasitc - starter on steriods.
So the starter seems very alive but the bread (3 loaves) it has produced over the past week has been far inferior to the loaves made with the original. The first loaf, baked in the morning after an overnight proof, was stale when I cut it for dinner that evening. The next two loaves have been dense as lead with hardly any oven spring.
I'm thinking this renewed starter is a little more active than I'm used to, plus some hot weather has resulted in over proofing my loaves - even though the last one was proofed in a ice cooled (64 degree) oven. Experiments and head scratching will continue.
Larry
I suspect I will do the same thing, as long as I don't "lose" it in the back of the cupboard, to be found by my daughter at some future date when I am long gone.
It is, however, reassuring to know that it's up there.