my psychotic chicken little style rants and ramblings- while on the road to self reliance.

Monday, August 22, 2011

How to make yeast.

One of the most favorite things that my MIL has ever given me is this book.



Passport to Survival: Four Foods and More to Use and Store
It is called Passport to Survival and is written by Esther Dickey. It talks about how to survive off of wheat, honey, salt, and powdered milk. She writes about things in the book I will never do like make "wheat meat." ....and I try to never say never BUT there is no way in hello I would ever make that.
If it did not moo or squawk 20 minutes ago it will not be passed off as meat in my house.
There is one REALLY cool recipe in the book on how to make yeast.
Wild Yeast
2 cups flour
2 cups water
2 tsp. honey
Mix well and place in a bottle or crock, uncovered. Allow mixture to ferment for five days in a warm room. Stir several times a day, thus aerating the batter and permitting the air to activate the mixture. It will smell yeasty, and small bubbles will come to the top.
Wild yeast is used in varying amounts in recipes for bread, rolls, hot cakes etc. The fifth day after using some, "feed" the starter (to replace the amount used in baking) using equal parts of flour and water or potato water. In another 24 hours the yeast will foam and work and be ready for use again.
Store the unused portion of the yeast in a refrigerator in a glass or crockery container with a tight fighting lid. Shake it often. To activate it before using it again, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour and the same amount of water and stir.
Some say that the yeast spores around the crusty top of the container are beneficial and that one should not keep emptying it and washing it.


Now- you know how to make yeast. Get to it. If you learn how you will not have to worry about storing  yeast!! And remember yeast has a shelf life of 1 year, and 5 years in the freezer.
I am going to try it. I will let you know how it turns out.

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