February 16, 2019 - 2:33pm
Multiple starters and rubber/plastic tools
I sometimes got multiple starters around the kitchen. The various jars I've gathered and use are plastic or glass and I usually favor my small rubber spatulas, which are fantastic for working with the starters in the jars.
I've read a few places about people recommending metal tools, but never found solid evidence for why. I usually clean the equipment (jars and tools) in hot tap water with dishwasher soap.
Is there any reason to worry about contamination or cross-contamination? Should I do things differently or is this way fine? I've wondered if bacteria could hide in some crevice of the rubber tools and get somewhere they shouldn't be.
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... with a few random bacteria, is very unlikely to be a problem. Contaminating it with dishwasher detergent might easily kill it. If you're concerned, I suggest two things:
1. Rinse your spatulas with boiling water after you've washed them in your normal way. This is mainly to make sure all the nasty soap is gone.
1a. IF your jars are good canning-type jars that are safe in boiling water, do the same for them - BUT only after following item 2.
2. Examine your starter to make sure it's healthy. If it is, then stop cleaning and leave it be! If it's already healthy, then cleaning can only make it worse. A healthy starter in a "dirty" jar (messy, ugly, sticky - I don't mean moldy) is just fine.
Thanks, David. I don't worry about mold or anything like that, but I like having things clean and not make cuts in my rubber spatulas on dried up starter. That stuff is better than a lot of glue. I think I'll try to drop the soap for now, not wash them as often and maybe boil stuff that can handle the heat if I want to clean it. Or just stick them in the dishwasher and rinse some more after.
In fact new bacteria, yeasts and mould spores will be coming in to your starters all the time - mostly from the flour you add, but also from your hands and the environment. However, although good basic hygiene is sensible, this ‘contamination’ is really nothing to worry about (and there’s nothing you can do about it anyway).
In reality a starter is an incredible ‘zoo’ of different species and strains of microbes - but (and it’s an important ‘but’) with the population vastly dominated by two or three key species - ie the ones that are most suited to the environmental conditions (acidity, temperature, type of food source). So long as the conditions remain roughly the same, these ones will totally crowd out the newcomers and prevent them gaining a foothold. In fact, many of them secrete compounds that actively prevent other organisms (like mould) from growing - that’s evolution for you...
So yes, it’s important to keep sides, lids and tools free from crusty old starter that dries out and might harbour moulds and nasties, but plastic tools are absolutely fine and a good rinse under the tap is all that’s needed. I try to avoid using washing up liquid, as some of it contains antibacterial chemicals that I definitely do NOT want anywhere near my starter :)
Thank you! I am not too worried based on what I've read and my own experience, but it can be difficult to tell from just observing my own starters if something slowly changes.
There are lots of microbes in a starter and I suspect you need a lot of foreigners to take over an environment.
I keep the containers fairly clean. Don't wash them every feeding, but every now and then to avoid too much dry stuff building up.
Interesting to hear you don't use soap. I suppose as long as one uses hot water and get out everything you can see, it shouldn't be much left in there, even if you don't use soap. I did a quick search and there seems to be two camps on this topic. Those using soap and those not using soap. If both works for a lot of people, I suppose both methods works well and is another example of the starter being difficult to mess up.
My containers are a bit tricky to get clean without soap when I've had a rye starter in them a week, but I think I'll try and see how it works. I like keeping my kitchen clean and pay attention to hygiene, but at the same time try not to overdo it and expose us to more chemicals than necessary.