Foraging for Wild Yeast

(Page 6 of 6)

September/October 1980
By the Mother Earth News editors 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

If you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time (say, a couple of weeks), it might even be a good idea to store your yeasty crock in the freezer. Then, when you return, just place 1 tablespoon of the old starter in a clean crock and add 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of water. Allow this fresh culture to age for 24 hours, after which you can use the new sponge in your sourdough recipes. (If you leave a starter in the freezer for more than a month or so, it may be necessary to go through this process again . . . and again . . . and again . . . until the yeasty brew regains its original vitality.) The same technique—which is known as "sweetening the pot"—is used to rejuvenate a starter that has been allowed to mature too long . . . a condition characterized by a lack of bubbling, a layer of hooch floating on the surface, and a lessthan-pleasant odor.

RELATED CONTENT

That's about all you need to know in order to harvest and brew your own batch of sourdough from foraged yeast! You'll find that the flavor of "wild" bread is more robust and a little bit more sour than that of baked goods made with packaged leavening . . . and it's a far better taste than you'll find in the airy loaves piled on supermarket shelves.

Once you've treated your tastebuds to the genuine flavor of sourdough bread, "billycan" biscuits, or hot flapjacks . . . you'll never be without a crock of starter again! So go ahead . . . gather your own crop of yeast-bearing bark or berries, brew up a crock of the fermenting sponge, and enjoy!

EDITOR'S NOTE: A good sourcebook for sourdough recipes and more "sourdough lore" is Don and Myrtle Holm's The Complete Sourdough Cookbook, available in most good bookstores or—for $1.95 plus 95¢ shipping and handling—from Mother's Bookshelf, P.O. Box 70, Hendersonville, North Carolina 28791.

Page: << Previous 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

  • name 8/30/2007 9:16:00 PM

    I tried this with three short sections of blackberry cane that were
    powdered with wild yeast, it being too late in the season for
    berries. The initial reaction was slow with a one to one mix of
    flour and water, but it has become active on day two, after a night
    on top of a warm stereo reciever. According to a not terribly
    accurate dial thermomenter the temperature is around 85 degrees
    Fahrenheit.

Add Your Comment

Please note that there is currently a problem with the comments function and your comment may or may not post successfully. We are working to correct the problem and thank you for your patience. 

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Mother Earth News readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Mother Earth News?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.