Submitted by Paddyscake on February 16, 2007 - 7:39pm
that is the question. I finally found a 1 lb package of SAF yeast. I'm wondering how do I store it, once open. One site said not to freeze, KA site says to freeze. Also, in what type of container..ziplocked, vacuum sealed etc. Thanks
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Yeast
I have kept my SAF instant yeast in the freezer for 2 or 3 years.............it has never failed to activate and raise my bread. I take it straight from the freezer and add to the dough mixture. I keep it in a stainless container with a gasket and snap lock ring.
Wayne
Re: yeast
Yeast has basically an infinite life, but it depends on lots of things. But storing in the freezer should fix nearly all of them. You have wayne's experience above, and it's worked for him. I would add that if you are using the yeast a lot you may benefit from putting a little in a container and just keeping in the fridge just to avoid having to expose a large amount of yeast over and over again to the humidity in the air. And it seems to be more convenient. If you have a food saver type vacuum packaging device go ahead and use it, I do, but it's not needed and definitely don't buy a vacuum device speiifically for this purpose, but if you got it go ahead.
demegrad
http://www.demegrad.blogspot.com
Vacuum storing
I do have a vacuum storing device..with canisters. After sealed, would I keep them in the fridge or could I keep it on the shelf?
To freeze
What I do is put the yeast in several small containers (in 100 ml) and put all of them in the freezer (you can label them with the date too). When I need it, I just spoon a little from one container. This way, I can still use the yeast even after one year or more. Very convenient.
Peter Reinhart says he does this...
On page 61 of Bread Baker's Apprentice, Peter Reinhart states that some people think it kills the yeast to store it in the freezer but that he has done it for over a year's time, in an airtight container, with no discernable loss of potency.
I freeze the yeast
I always freeze yeast and use it right out of the freezer without any problem. I use a screw top canning jar to hold the yeast. weavershouse
Thank you all very much..
Into the freezer it will go.
I think that it comes down
I think that it comes down to a matter of your own convenience, really.
If you bake an enormous amount, and would benefit from having an open bin of yeast within arm's reach, by all means--do it. The yeast won't suffer. Wholesale and commercial bakeries do it as a matter of course.
If, on the other hand, you bake relatively infrequently (relative to a mass bakeshop), you are, I think, perfectly fine with frozen yeast.
The wee yeasties are out of your way then, and they certainly don't seem to suffer from the chill.
For crude biological organisms, they have some pretty highly evolved survival mechanisms--they seem, by my experience, to do well whether frozen or at room temp.
Do what you will, in other words--the yeast won't mind.
Yours,
Uisgea
Freezing Fresh Yeast
I recently purchased some fresh yeast from my local bakers which I cut into one ounce portions and then froze. However, on defrosting I found that the yeast turned into a thick liquid. Any comments? Has anyone else experienced this happening to frozen fresh yeast and, if so, is it still usable in this form?
Quite simply...
Quite simply, "fresh" (or rather compressed) yeast is not a product for storing.
Its cheap, which is attractive to commercial bakers. But commercial bakers use it up quickly -- they don't have to store it because they consume it quickly and get frequent deliveries.
The lousy storage qualities were the reason for the development of dried yeasts.
There are different types of dried yeast - and their product names are unhelpful.
The earliest dried yeasts offered for sale were heat dried ("actively dried"). This gave a product that stored very well, for a long time, but actually had about 1/3 of its yeast cells killed either by the drying or the rehydration.
Its a sort of "ship's biscuit" - a product whose indestructability in storage is its principal attribute.
This type of product can be identified by the packet instructions specifying mixing it with some warm water before use.
This product has a lot in common with slightly stale 'fresh' yeast, which is also rich in dead yeast cells. The dead cells make for a 'yeasty' taste and smell, and make the dough weaker but more extensible -- which might be ideal for pizza, but not much else.
But its still found in many stores and recipes.
The modern dried yeasts are produced by vacuum drying - and just as with ancient and modern instant coffees, the newer tech gives a better product that stores almost as well as the old one. And they have fewer dead cells than most people's 'fresh' yeast.
These are best described as 'instant mix' yeasts.
Unfortunately, some of them incorporate a cocktail of 'improvers' that I find undesireable, even if they do give a better result in bread-making machines.
You have to read the small print on the labels to find one without all the improvers. The instructions for these modern dried yeasts will specify mixing the yeast powder (or rather tiny grains) with the dry flour - and that is the best way to use them.
Again unfortunately, the manufacturers often specify using an excessive quantity of these products. Use no more than 1/3 of the quantity that a recipe specifies for fresh yeast, ideally a touch less than that. Typically the USA instructions will talk about a "more rapid action, 30% faster rising" and such nonsense. This is simply encouraging you to use more of their product! Don't! Bread benefits from slow rising, using less yeast. Time is an important ingredient, and despite the hype, there are no short cuts. Speed is NOT an advantage of this type of yeast - when its used properly - regardless of the claims.
Many manufacturers use the identical strain of yeast for their fresh and instant mix products. So its actually exactly the same yeast, just prepared using new technology for easy convenient storage.
For home baking, with the cost of the yeast being pretty insignificant, it makes sense to use the product better suited to occasional, small quantity, baking - even if it does cost a fraction more. At least there should be no wastage whatever. Surplus content of open packs can be stored in a closed glass jar in the fridge for months, with no problem whatever.
"Fresh yeast" is about 2/3 water. If the manufacturers thought it could be frozen successfully, without damaging the yeast cells, don't you think they'd be freezing it (under ideal conditions at the factory) and selling it from the display freezer, alongside the frozen peas?
Freezing Fresh Yeast
Thank you Dougal for your reply.
After looking at various other websites, cookery books etc. which gave conflicting reports, your explanation was very clear and comprehensive and, certainly, made a lot of sense. Thank you very much for your advice.
Toots
i freeze too
I have always frozen my yeast and it has kept for years. There was a time I did little or no baking for over 2 years, and the yeast I had worked just fine when I tested it. I just leave it in the jar it came in, on the shelf in the door of my freezer.
spoke with flieshmans just the othr day
Yeasties can survive the reeze very nicely provided there is no free water available. The freezing spears the yeast cells killing them, or engulfs them and crushes them to death, hence the goo that is left from frosen "Fresh" yeast.
if you have a vacumn bag sysstem, I was told that is the best way to keep yeast, and storing it in the fridge is the best place. Although the gent on the help desk added, if you can really vacum seal it w/o heat, you could just leave it itn the cubbord , although most people can not do that, so the party line is not freezer, but in the fridge. At Fleishmans, there can be a varient from active to fresh yeast, and it is indistinguishable to us, you need a microscope. The active dry and rapid rise are identicle, and ther is no difference in cell counts.
They process it two-threeways, all describe above, that is as a block as fresh yeast, very perishable, and two dry. One is pelletised and can be dropped into 115 degree water. the other is extruded and dried and has no buffer, so cooler water, like heads should prevail.
I have been buying red star in two pound vacumn bags and I put yeat in plastic veg bags then a chinese take out soup container and stored successfully for 1.5 -2 years. I will ditch it at 1.5-1.75 If I notice it takes too long to proof.
I recently bought Fleishmans in 1# bags (a two fer, no choice). Then an unseen chinese container FULL of yeast magically appeared in my freezer, ggrrrr. I guess I knead t make more bread and inspect my "science experiments" more often! Since did not .
Yeast is so cheap like this I do not mind ditching an underperformer. Now it has risen in price, but when I started a 3 packet strip (.75 of ounce), was $2.85 , a 32 ounce bag was $2.85, duh, but I had to get someone get it for me from Costco.
Now a 2 pound pack, is $3.86 and a 3 pack strip is $2.90. Amazing price diff.
Sparkie