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Preserving Sourdough: freeze vs. dry?
http://cookaholics.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=4244
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Author:  TheFuzzy [ Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Preserving Sourdough: freeze vs. dry?

All,

During the course of my move to Portland, HP (our sourdough starter) is liable to go for 4-6 weeks without a recycle, which is too long. Given that, I'd like to preserve him for the move.

I've done some googling and I see two pieces of advice: 1. freeze and 2. dry. Advocates of the drying camp say that freezing won't work. However, given that it is currently 90% humidity in SF, I'm not sure that drying would work.

Has anyone frozen/dried your sourdough starter? How did it work out?

Author:  TheFuzzy [ Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Preserving Sourdough: freeze vs. dry?

Related to this, apparently Stockholm has a "sourdough kennel" you can take your starter to while you go on vacation:

http://www.virtuousbread.com/bread-and- ... nk-not-us/

Author:  pepperhead212 [ Sat Dec 12, 2015 4:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Preserving Sourdough: freeze vs. dry?

I have done both successfully. Maybe try both, and do your own experiment?

Author:  Linda [ Sat Dec 12, 2015 6:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Preserving Sourdough: freeze vs. dry?

Is oven-drying not an option?

Author:  BeckyH [ Sat Dec 12, 2015 7:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Preserving Sourdough: freeze vs. dry?

I've found freezing works ok. Remember, after a month or so your starter will change flavors to reflect the local yeasts.

Author:  pepperhead212 [ Sat Dec 12, 2015 11:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Preserving Sourdough: freeze vs. dry?

Linda wrote:
Is oven-drying not an option?

Even the low temp (130ยบ) my pilot light keeps the oven at would kill most yeast, and sourdough, I understand, is even more sensitive.

Author:  TheFuzzy [ Sun Dec 13, 2015 12:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Preserving Sourdough: freeze vs. dry?

For us, oven-drying wouldn't work unless we turned the oven on, at which point it would be too hot.

We could, however, put it in front of the dehumidifier.

Author:  wino [ Sun Dec 13, 2015 4:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Preserving Sourdough: freeze vs. dry?

Try a dehydrator for some of it, this should not kill the yeast. I agree with Becky and in my experience, your yeast will change to the local bugs, regardless. :(

Author:  TheFuzzy [ Sun Dec 13, 2015 12:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Preserving Sourdough: freeze vs. dry?

Wino,

Yeah, we've already seen this; with the prior culture, we used it three times in a row in another state a while back, and the flavor changed. However, HP is a strong culture, so I'm hoping he'll hold out for a while.

Author:  Lindsay [ Mon Dec 14, 2015 11:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Preserving Sourdough: freeze vs. dry?

Why don't you do both?

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