Sourdough Starter # 2: How To

Sourdough Starter # 2: How To

Hi everybody :)

Well, this is starter # 2, this recipe is very similar to the Herman Sourdough starter but does  not include sugar, salt, or milk in the starter mixture. It's adapted from The Taste of Home Baking Book  and take only 2 days to ferment whereas the Herman starter take 3 days.

Sourdough Starter                                                                Starter Food (see key steps)
 
PREP: 10 min. + standing YIELD: about 3 cups                    1 part water
1 package (4 ounce) active dry yeast                                       1 part flour
2 cups warm water(110°to 115°)
2 cups all- purpose flour                                                           

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water;  let stand for 5 minutes. 

 Add flour; stir until smooth. 

Cover loosely with a clean towel. Let stand in a warm place (80°- 90°) to for 48 hours; stir several times daily (the mixture will become bubbly and rise, have a yeasty sour aroma and a transparent yellow liquid will form on the top).

Use starter for your favorite sourdough recipes. Refer to the key steps in maintaining your starter.

Making a starter is pretty basic and simple. The main key steps are: 

Key Steps for a Successful Starter

1.  Prepare your starter in a sterilized non-metal container.  Starters contain acid that can react with metal. Use a large sterilized container made of glass, ceramic or plastic, because starter increase in volume and a small container will overflow.

 2.  To use, bring starter  to room temperature (80° to 90°) (2 -12  hours); this could take hours so plan ahead. After using, replenish, feed, or nourish the starter by using equal amounts of starter food to restore the volume (in this case use equal parts of water and flour) (For example, if 1/2 cup starter was removed for a recipe, combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup warm water. Stir into starter.) Let starter stand in a warm place (80° to 90°) until light and bubbly, stir starter cover and refrigerate. (This could take hours also.)

3.  Store starter in refrigerator. If starter is not use in 2 weeks, it need to be feed to keep active, To nourish, remove half of the starter and share with a friend or discard. Move remaining starter to a large bowl, add equal parts water and flour and repeat the latter part of step #2
 
4.  If used and replenished or nourished at least once every 2 weeks, the starter should remain active indefinitely.

5. Starter should have a yeasty sour smell. Discard a starter if it develops an offensive odor, changes color or becomes slimy or Stringy, which means it's spoiled. Sterilize the storage container before using it for a new batch of starter.

I will be sharing what I made with this starter recipe soon, so stay tune :)

Feeding the starter











 

 Starter after feeding













What I think:

Although this experience was a bit tiresome with the days and hours of waiting, the results was well worth it. "NO PAIN, NO GLORY!"

ENJOY! Come...

Linked to:  

Mop Up Mondays - I Should be Mopping the Floor  
Show Me What You Got Tuesday's at ODH
Tuesday-Talent-Show:  Chef In Training

Sourdough Starter # 1: How To

Sourdough Starter # 1: How To

          Herman Sourdough Starter "Passing the Cup"

 Hi everybody :)

I been very busy around here lately.

And I been making sourdough starters. Two starters to be exact, the first starter recipe is the Herman Sourdough starter the second is a starter from Taste of Home. After during some intense reading and practicing, today I'm ready to sharing with you the steps in making your own Sourdough Starters.

The story behind the Herman Sourdough Starter is that it was pass around in the South like gossip :) In the spirit of Southern hospitality, a cup of the starter was given to a friend with recipes and instructions on how to use and care for it. In turn, the friend would pass it along to another one with the same information and so on. 

Being a southern and in hopes of keeping the tradition going I bring you my "cup" of sourdough starter :)

Herman Sourdough Starter adapted Southern Living 1982 Annual Recipes

1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cup, warm water (105° to 115°)
Herman Food (recipe follows)

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water: let stand 5 minutes. Combine next 3 ingredients in a medium-size nonmetal bowl; mix well. Gradually stir in 2 cups warm water. Add yeast mixture, and mix well. 

Cover loosely with plastic wrap or cheesecloth and let stand in a warm place (80° to 85°) for 72 hours, stirring 2 to 3 times daily.  The pictures below are how it look 

After 3 Days: Herman Sourdough Starter 

The bubbly mixture before stirring the mixture have separated, it okay because that what it do. You would notice little bubbles will appear at the top.

Below: This is the side view of the separated mixture, notice the transparent yellowy part is on top and the white part is on the bottom. Yeast in action :)

Just stir the mixture to combine. Do this several times a day or at least 3.

To Use: Remove sourdough starter from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour. Stir well, and measure amount of starter needed for recipe. Replenish remaining starter with Herman Food, and return to refrigerator; use within 2 to 14 days, stirring daily.

Repeat the procedure for using and replenishing Herman
Yield: about 7 cups.

Herman Food:
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk

Stir all ingredients into sourdough starter, and refrigerate. 
Herman Sourdough Starter Food, mixing








Herman Sourdough Starter after food added.






Note: Herman Sourdough Starter may be frozen. Before using, let thaw at room temperature until mixture is bubbly (about 5 hours). 

To freeze remove desired amount you wish to freeze. Place in freezer containers. Date and label. Thaw and use within 1 year.

 I measure out the starter, I'm freezing.

 The two smaller container are for the freezer the middle container is for more yummy bread recipes I will be posting later, so stay tune :) 

What I think:

Although this experience was a bit tiresome with the days and hours of waiting, the results was well worth it. "NO PAIN, NO GLORY!"

ENJOY! Come again... 

Linked To:
The Bulletin Board @ Mrs Happy Homemaker
Jaime @ Mom's Test Kitchen

Green Onions: Growing and Freezing How To

Green Onions: Growing and Freezing How To

Hi everybody :)

We've talked before about growing potatoes (found here). Today I like to talk about green onions. Green onions is one of the easiest things to grow. The next time you pick up a brunch from the store, instead of throwing away the root ends, plant them. They WILL GROW; trust me. The picture below is my proof.

To Grow:

before picking 8/17

after picking 8/17

I picked my green onions, but left the roots in the soil, so they'll grow again and again and again, like a continuing garden of goodies. In about a month or so, this will be ready to pick again!

To Freeze:

onions, scissors and freezer bags

Freezing green onions is as easy as growing them. They do not need to be blanched (quickly placed in boiling water and then in cold); just wash them gently and dry.
Cut them into about 1/2 inch pieces.( I found the best way to do this is with kitchen scissors) Make sure the pieces are dry.

Place desired amount in freezer bags, label, date and freeze. They should stay fresh up to 6 months.

BTW,  Hubby surprised me by cooking today. He fixed a nice Chicken Casserole dish. Sometimes he likes to get in the kitchen and show off he's creative too.

I told him I was taking some pictures to share it with you, so here they are.

UPDATE PICTURE 8/23

UPDATE PICTURE 8/31

ENJOY! Come again....

Freezing Lemons: How To

Freezing Lemons: How To

Hi everybody :)

Did you know that you can freeze lemons? It's very simply and easy. I'll show you how.  Freezing whole lemons is not a good idea because their juice sacs will burst. But freezing the juice and the zest is a great idea! You can store it in mini cups or containers to fit your needs, according to your recipes. This works well with limes also. It stays fresh for up to 6 months; so you can have that great lemony taste when they're out of season :)

Freezing Lemons: How To

What you need:

Supplies

Microplane Zester  (I use my Edgeware )
Lemons, cleaned
Mini Cups or Containers (I got mine from the Dollar Store)
Freezer Bags

Zesting the Lemon

 

 

When zesting the lemon, take care NOT to get any of the white part, you only want the yellow peel.

Zest on Grater

Lemon Zest

After zesting the lemon, rolled it on the counter top to soften it or microwave it for about 5 seconds to help release the juice. Cut lemon in half and squeeze it into container. Remove any seeds, top with lid and wrap container in plastic wrap to ensure lid stays on. Place in zip-lock bags, date, and label. Store in freezer.

Lemon Juice

Lemon Zest in Freezer Bag

Lemon Juice in Freezer Bag

 

Tip: After the juice has frozen, unmold and place in freezer bags to reuse mini containers.


So the next time you're at the store, and lemons just happen to be on sale, don't be afraid to stack-up :)

ENJOY! Come again....