The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Refrigerated sourdough discard jar

afjagsp123's picture
afjagsp123

Refrigerated sourdough discard jar

I've read many suggestions for what to do with the discard rather than throwing it out: pizza crusts, sourdough pancakes (did those  this weekend -- YUM!!!!) and english muffins.

Do you need to feed the discard jar as often as the main refrigerated starter jar?

PS Take pity on me, please if this topic has already been addressed. I'm kind of addled. This morning I dropped and broke my mason jar of bulk yeast (Costco sized!). Boy, is spilled active dried yeast hard to get up... kind of rolls around like b-b's. I guess the upside is my kitchen is really primed for wild yeast sourdough in case the next occupant of our home wants to start one!

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Half the fun in maintaining a starter, being so responsible with it and feeding it, is seeing how unattentive one can be with the discard.  The "other side of the coin" so to speak.  Discard can starve, after all, it is discard.

After I'm done with my starter and a tablespoon has been fed to keep it going, the now old starter becomes discard. It either sits in the fridge to be used up or takes a nose dive into the compost pile. Feeding it would only be wasting good flour. I wouldn't save it for other foods if it looked bad or invaded by other organisms.

But isn't it interesting that it can still flavour so many foods? 

Mini O

JIP's picture
JIP

Speaking of compost is it ok to put discarsed starter in the compost pile.  I of course dispose of alot of old starter and always wonder about what to do with it and this would be a god use.  I have finlly broken down and put a bucket outside my kitchen door to dump the discard starter.

LindyD's picture
LindyD

Any organic ingredient is great for compost piles. What starter discard I don't use for breading chicken, oinion rings, etc. goes into my compost.  It breaks down pretty quickly.

I've also put a couple tablespoons in a small bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, added a bit of water, then poked a couple small holes in the wrap.  Makes for a good little fruit fly trap.

Janedo's picture
Janedo

We have a septic tank and the product to add new bacteria is really expensive. So, any time we have old yogurt, down the toilet it goes! Starter would do the same.

Hadn't thought of the compost!

But having a special starter jar is an excellent idea.

Jane 

keesmees's picture
keesmees

......add new bacteria is really expensive.....:

throw a dead chicken in your septic tank.

this advice I got 25 years ago from one of my  neighbours. never had a better one: no problems since.

AnnieT's picture
AnnieT

I keep the discarded starter in a plastic container and when it gets full I make "discard bread" to share with neighbors. This week I took 2 1/2cups of starter and added a cup of water, a good glug of oil and 1/2tspn instant yeast. After it was blended I added 1 cup of whole wheat flour and the salt then added bread flour until the dough cleaned the sides of the Bosch bowl. Got really fancy this week and added raisins - but forgot the honey! It turned out really well and made 3 pan loaves, and I have a request for more this weekend. I also made pancakes for the grandgirls on Sunday morning to rave reviews. So I NEVER toss leftover starter, A.

DakotaRose's picture
DakotaRose

What great ideas with the fruit fly trap and compost.  I hate to toss mine out and I no longer have neighbors that need or want anymore.  LOL  The last few times I took my leftover starter and tossed it into the mixer with some water, flour, oil, honey and salt and mixed up some dump bread.  No recipe, but somehow it always comes out really good.

I might have to start saving it for out compost pile as I am sure the garden would enjoy a new tasty snack.

Blessings,
Lydia

afjagsp123's picture
afjagsp123

Thanks everyone! (I posted a thank you yesterday, but for some reason it didn't post.)

 This morning I used up about 1 cup by adding to my basic dry pancake mix from the bulk bins at the local "granola grocery store". They were GORGEOUS and DELICIOUS! Puffy, tender and mildly sour.

Stephanie in Very Hot Almost Mexico
Visit my blog: http://bikebookandbread.blogspot.com/

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

at work,  maybe I'll send some old starter with him to work.