How long can I keep yeast?

[On Our own]

Or can anyone tell me how to make it??

I have a grape arbor - which I understand can be used to make yeast, but I do not know how.

 

[patandchickens]

Do you mean baking yeast, or brewing yeast? (I know nuffin at all about brewing yeast, sorry).

Baking yeast that you buy from the store is usually good for something like a year (plus?) stored in your cupboard, longer in the freezer (esp. if the package is unopened). Fancier less-processed yeasts may have shorter shelf lives. Storage conditions definitely matter a lot. With older yeast, it is worth 'proofing' some before you do the recipe, to make sure it is still alive -- it is very annoying to have a loaf of bread or whatever just sit there like a blob

The usual way of 'making your own' yeast is sourdough starter (that's what it *is*, it's a collection of wild yeasts). I have never tried making my own from scratch, I gather there is a considerable luck element in it and some batches may need to be thrown out before you get one that gets the right critters in it. And then of course it needs to be tended, as it is a living organism. If you are not using much, you can freeze it for, I forget, a month or so (?) at a time, but my mother and I never had good luck keeping sourdough starter in the freezer for *long* stretches of time, even with thawing and feeding and refreezing... we have wondered whether the prolonged freezing may select for less-wonderful yeast strains. But I dunno. Certainly it is better than *losing* the starter, if it comes to that.

I have never heard of a practical homemade way of making anything resembling powdered yeast.

Looking forward to see what others say,

Pat

 

[On Our own]

Thanks! Yeah, I mean baking yeast. I am worried about not having any available..... I have flour, but it is not too good without yeast.

 

[patandchickens]

Well, there are some unleavened flatbread-type products you can still make without yeast.

But yeah, I know what you mean, we are used to "real' breads Probably the best thing is to keep a year's supply of yeast on hand -- more if you have a reliable freezer -- and rotate your stock.

If you had to, however, you could make your own starter (even if it meant trying a number of times before it worked right), and then as long as you kept it happy and cool and fed on a regular basis you would be back in business. You would have to use slightly different recipes but, you know, at that point you'd be unlikely to be picky

Or you could just make (or, my preference, bum an already-started) sourdough starter *now*, so you would have time to get used to their idiosyncrasies.

http://www.baking911.com/bread/starters101howto.htm gives a reasonable overview of the subject.

A quick google suggests that it is possible to dry sourdough starter for lower-maintenance saving... sort of as a 'backup'. I would not expect this to last as long as storeboughten dry yeast -- especially not in the absence of a freezer -- but you might want to read more on it, I didn't really look into it much (screamy small child on lap )

Have fun,

Pat

 

[John Porter]

I work for a wholesale grocery distributor and dates are something I check often. Most yeast such as Fleishmans is good for two years on the shelf.
John

 

[freemotion]

Or can anyone tell me how to make it??

I have a grape arbor - which I understand can be used to make yeast, but I do not know how.

I found and followed instructions (too long to type in here, but you can get the book through your library) for both sourdough from rye flour and grape yeast from unwashed wild grapes. The book is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, and I love that book because it gives recipes using real food, traditionally prepared, not using "lite" this and "fat-free" that. Real food that you can harvest yourself, and how to prepare it, and not to be afraid of it. Like egg yolks and animal fats, and the science behind it.

So anyways, the sourdough was wonderful, but successive batches got too sour. It could be that we don't eat much bread here, and we didn't use and dilute it enough, as a large family might.

There are also detailed instructions online, do a google search and you'll find lots of sourdough recipes starting with no yeast at all, and lots of "quick" sourdough recipes that call for yeast, which are not traditional sourdoughs.

The grape yeast was obviously working up a good colony for me, and I was imagining peanut butter sandwiches on grapey tasting bread, then when it was time to make the dough, that was also the exact amount of time to hatch out a batch of fruit flies! I took the gauze off the jar I was using and was treated to a cloud of the swarming critters......ewwww!

I don't have the stomach to use it anyways. But now I know I can create yeast in an emergency, so it was worth the effort. I may try again, with earlier grapes, which might have fewer flies. Or shorten the time a bit, maybe.

 

[On Our own]

Thanks for the book title. I think I should experiment with it a bit so I figure out how to do it without the fruit flies!!

That would gross me out too. But, as someone else said - by that point I might not be quite so picky.

 

[NJLiberty]

I bought two "bricks" of instant yeast back in 2002. I was unemployed at the time and making my own bread was much cheaper than buying it from the store. I seriously underestimated how much yeast was in those bricks. I still have one here which is unopened. What's left of the other one is in a mason jar in my refrigerator. I am still baking bread with it and six years later it is fine. As long as it stays cool and dry I can't see why yeast wouldn't last for a very long time. If you are in doubt just proof it before you use it.

I'm not sure how the natural yeasts present on grapes would work for baking. They work fine for making wine. Making your own sourdough isn't hard, but it will vary a lot depending on what is in the air in your area. There are plenty of sourdough starters you can purchase, though if you know anyone who makes sourdough I am sure they would be happy to give you part of theirs. You can keep it alive indefinitely.

 

[ShadyGlade]

I bought yeast almost ten years ago at Sam's Club and am still baking from it just fine. It has been kept refrigerated and dry since it was opened.

 

[On Our own]

Ten years?!?!?!


IS "instant yeast" The cost of yeast here has doubled in the last month but I found SAF Instant Yeast in an Emergency Essentials catalog for $4.50 for 16 oz.

Is there anything about this type of product I should know or is this simply yeast? Do you use a "brick" differently than the jar stuff?