Very old sourdough starter; how long is too long?
For quite some time, my grandmother has had a sourdough starter kept in the fridge. I observed her making muffins and whatnot on an infrequent basis, with the intervals sometimes increasingly greater than the 14 days I see recommended on various sites. My first question is did I just miss her "washing" the mix or is there a secret way to store the starter long term that I am not observing?
The jar has been stored in a static location in the back of the fridge, and is mostly full with a clearish layer (presumably the alcohol layer), apparently airtight, and without noticeable discoloration. With my grandmother's increasing age and decreasing health I doubt this has been touched in between one and two and a half years.
My second question is what beyond obvious (pink, blue, green) color changes am I looking for that tell me that I have to chuck this and start over?
My third question is if I do not get any "stop" signs (from question two) what would the best way to extract a viable sample for my own mix without contaminating or making significant modification to the existing jug? My first thought is to us the trick where you put your finger over the top of a straw to lift out a liquid. And then can I just pick up where I am reading elsewhere about washing and resurrecting old starters?
Thank y'all for your help!
Best Answer
I had two that I neglected for 8 years in my fridge. I thought several times about tossing them.
Glad I didnt!
I recently washed & fed both several times and they are alive and well. Totally amazing how durable they are.
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Quick Answer about "Very old sourdough starter; how long is too long?"
As long as your starter is mature (i.e. at least 3 months old), your starter should be happy in the fridge for about 2 months without any attention.Can a sourdough starter be too old?
As long as the starter is being fed regularly and rising and falling as it's meant to, a starter really can't be too old. Of course, it could also have been preserved in a dried form or even stored in the fridge. If the starter isn't dried and has not been fed regularly, then it could become moldy and no longer viable.Can you keep sourdough starter for years?
Sourdough starter can be frozen, if you would like to store it for a long period without feeding. To do this, double the amount of flour added at feeding so that it is a very thick paste, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 year.How do you know if your sourdough starter is spoiled?
You can tell that a sourdough starter is bad or dead if it doesn't respond to regular feedings after being unfed for a long time or if they develop any kind of mold or discoloration.Sourdough Starter Time Lapse - How Long Does it Take For Sourdough Starter to Ripen After Feeding?
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Answer 2
I've kept a starter in the fridge for a couple of years now. Frequently, I will forget the weekly feed and have to bring it back to life. I would just stir and then scoop out a quarter cup or so, mix with equal parts water and flour, cover loosely and leave on the counter. If it starts to bubble (might take overnight) you are good to go...use or build up by adding flour and water so that you have about a pint...return to fridge in covered container, try to remember to feed weekly by discarding half and replacing with fresh flour and water.
Answer 3
You may have missed seeing her feed the starter, it doesn't take long and really only has to be done every week or two if you aren't making bread regularly. Once a starter is well established, its acidity and biological activity will protect it from neglect. There are ways to make a culture last longer in the dormant stage. Usually this is accomplished by making a stiffer starter, around 50-60% hydration, allowing it to ferment 4+ hours, then refrigerate. Keeping it in the fridge slows down the metabolism of the yeast and bacteria, while the stiff starter provides plenty of food for them. No matter what, there are limits to how long it can be kept and every culture is going to have it's own failure point. I've revived a culture that was neglected for 4 months, but I've also had one that had only gone 1 month between feeding that I couldn't revive.
In addition to discolorations, cloudy/milky hooch and Funky, putrid, or acetone (nail polish remover) odors are other indicators of contamination. Some of these can be overcome by washing and feeding the starter but may require additional steps including the use of pineapple juice to inhibit some bacterial growth.
Just remove a couple tablespoonfuls of the starter and dilute it with a cup of tepid water. Feed it with a cup of flour, then give it at least 24 hours on the counter to see if there's any activity. If the existing starter is dead, it's dead. The same goes for extreme contamination. The best thing you could do in that case would be to wash out the mess and use the container to start a new culture in honor of your grandmother.
Answer 4
My starter will have its 34th birthday in a few days. It is vigorous and TASTY! Read Ruth Allman's book, "Alaska Sourdough" way back then and it was one of the best books I ever bought.
My starter has had hard times. Over the years, I've tended to neglect it by leaving it in the fridge for months. At times I thought I'd killed it. Sometimes it took intensive care to get it going again. But once it revives (and it usually will), it's as healthy as a moose.
I sent off for a piece of "Karl's" starter years ago to see if I could detect any difference in the starter, and in particular, the sourdough pancakes that I usually use my starter for. I couldn't.
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