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Friday, February 14, 2014

Feeding Kefir & Sourdough

One of my new Saturday chores is feeding my starters - sourdough and kefir grains. They will actually be okay for about two weeks, but I am trying to make it a weekly chore to make sure I don't let them die. It a simple process and doesn't take long. 

I have kept some extra kefir grains, just in case. The ones I use daily, and keep on the counter, grow much faster than I expected. I take some of them out at least once a week to limit the amount of grains to about a tablespoon and a half. The extras, I feed to the chickens.


To feed the extra grains that I keep in the frig, first I strain them out. If there are too many grains that have grown over the week, I take them out and put them in the scrap bucket for the chickens. I also feed the chickens the milk that was on the stored kefir. The dog doesn't really care for it.


 

Then I put the 'keeper' grains in a clean jar and put about two and a half cups of fresh milk over them. I keep a piece of tape on top of the jar and mark the date each time I feed them, so I can keep track of myself.

 



Next, I feed the sourdough starter which is a leavening agent used in place of yeast when making bread. I have two batches going. One that is more white flour and one that is almost exclusively fresh ground wheat. As a sourdough starter sits, it will ferment and make alcohol. As this happens, a layer of liquid will form on top of the flour part of the starter, and it gets rather dark. The first time I fed these starters after being in the frig for a week I was surprised. So back to my reading I went. As long as the liquid on top is not red, it's okay. A brownish or blackish color is normal.


It's simple to feed them. Just add about 1/2 cup flour of your choice and stir well. The consistency should stay about the same thickness as pancake batter. Add filtered water as needed to maintain the consistency.



If you plan to make bread this is a good time to use up your old starter by making a sponge out of it. Once the sponge has set out overnight and rejuvenated, put a cup of it back in the frig for next time. I find that if I don't make bread very often the amount of starter in the frig grows over time. If I didn't plan to make bread for a while I would have to either share some or throw some out so I could continue feeding it. I don't want to have a gallon of starter, I would never use that much. Sourdough has to be able to breathe. The blue crock does not seal, so it works well. On the quart jar, I use a piece of cheese cloth and hold it on with a rubber band. When I make a sponge, I use a stoneware bowl, a wooden spoon and cover it all with a tea towel. Neither kefir nor sourdough like metal, so I avoid these utensils and bowls.


I know I've said it before, but having these live cultures on hand that can perpetually provide a source of nutrition for us brings me satisfaction. I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about providing for us in a sustainable way. Learn all you can.


Until next time - Fern


14 comments:

  1. Great information! Thank you!
    K in OK<><

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  2. I've started up sour-dough from scratch a couple of times this way:

    Ingredients:
    * Wholegrain flour, as pure as possible i.e. organic or similar
    * Pure water, unchlorinated tap-water or the like

    Procedure:
    * Mix 2 dl flour with water to porridge consistency, place in a clean jar and cover with paper or cloth (or anything else that allows the brew to breathe without being contaminated)
    * Next day and every following day for a week do this:
    ** Throw out half of the dough, add 1 dl of fresh flour and stir with enough water to re-establish the porridge consistency

    I my experience, after a week the sour-dough will be bubbling away, probably due to the naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria on the surface parts of the grain, the flour was made from

    When making bread, I take off a handful of dough and put it in the fridge for the next badge

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for this information, FarmerMan. I have a question. Your measurement for the flour is described as "2 dl". What is a dl?

      Thank you again for sharing.

      Fern

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    2. We've done the same a few times as well. I've heard rye flour starts most easily, because of the lower phytic acid content of the flour, apparently, which interferes with the yeasts in other grains. But we've had no problem with our fresh-ground hard wheat. We just make a little bit of paste of flour and water, with whatever consistency seems reasonable, and feed it occasionally while keeping it covered in cheesecloth, for a week, and we've always gotten it to start successfully.

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  3. I am not FarmerMan, but dl stands for deciliter.

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  4. Just looked up the equivalents. Technically, a dl is a liquid measurement, not a dry measurement, but here goes:
    1 dl = 100 ml. Since 1 tsp = 5 mls, then 100 ml = 20 tsp. 3 tsp = 1 tbsp, so 20 tsp = 6 TBSP + 2 tsp. 4 TBSP = 1/4 cup, so it looks as if 1 dl is roughly equivalent to a hefty 1/3 cup.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the information, Marivene. I appreciate your research.

      Fern

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  5. Having just finished my two hour Saturday ritual of refreshing the kombucha, it's nice to read stuff like this (two hours because we make several gallons of kombucha a week, and trade with numerous friends). Kombucha, as it turns out, is an excellent remedy for heartburn, especially the sort that comes on in late pregnancy.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for sharing. I'm glad you find this useful.

      Fern

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  6. Where did you buy your kefir grains and your crock?

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    Replies
    1. The kefir grains were a gift from a friend. The crock I have had for many, many years, and I don't have any idea where I got it.

      Fern

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