Recipe, How Long-Just How long Does It Take The Sourdough Starter to Become "Ripe"-In Prime Working Condition?

How Long

            Just how long does it take the Sourdough starter to become "ripe"-in prime working condition?

            Exponents differ:

            3-Day starter can be used now providing those little enzymes have started working. But it is better to wait a few more days. Toss in extra food for the Sourdough to work on, a spoonful of sugar along with a couple spoonfuls of flour. Add water, if batter too thick. Mix well. Cover.

            1-Week: Starter is now effervescing with a million bubbles. Looks like sour cream- smells like sour cream, but is rich luscious Sourdough.

            2-Week: Disciples of Sourdough claim that waiting this extra time gives extra flavour, which is not to be compared with any other batter.

                        3-Week: The Sourdough is now bubbling like the old witches        cauldron.

!-Month: Rich creamy batter that is honey combed with bubbles.

            1-Year: “Old timers” claim a year must elapse before the Sourdough matures and offers the distinctive taste appeal nothing else can imitate--Sourdough!

            Use a Wooden spoon, as a metal spoon causes the little enzymes to work overtime on the metal.

            The first alcohol, produced by man, is thought to have been simply a mixture of barley, or wheat, and water; which was let ferment. The North American Natives were not familiar with wheat, and there fore; sourdough or any other leavened breads until introduced to it by the white man. It is amazing how suddenly they caught on (now claiming Bannock as their own) and how they made two potent brews.

            Sourdough beer is simple to make but disagreeable to drink. If consumed in quantity, it will produce any degree of intoxication. All one needs is a barrel, flour and water. Into this pour some Sourdough and Dame Nature takes its' course, from there-a little sugar will speed things up. Beewack is never bottled only a fool would carry a live bomb.

             The most influential area the world has ever known but now reduced to a so called, Third World Country, because of over population, greed, theft, and foreign " help " or "investment," the Middle East has been producing sugars for thousands of years. The word "sugar" comes from the Arabic. Sugar, made from cane, including those sugars, syrups and beer made from tree saps such as birch or maple, were considered to be the "long way of producing sugar. Long Sugar known as Molasses today - was used by the native and early pioneer

             Using an old rifle barrel and a trade pot, they created a still. The resultant spirits were known by the Thlinget word Hooch-m-noo, from which we get the term "Hootch. This casts some doubt on the popular story; of how whiskey traders robbed the natives.

            Sourdough starter can be kept in a cold place, but it should never be allowed to freeze. Old timers often carried the starter in bags next to their bodies (hence the name "Sourdoughs) in cold weather.

© Al Alex Alexander Girvan 1995 All rights reserved