# Yeast



## ComputerGuy (Dec 10, 2010)

Are there any suggestions in storing yeast long term? I searched and saw the life is 1 year frozen, but what other ways are there to store or to ensure you have some for the future?


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

I just keep it refrigerated, loses some effectiveness but still ok. I still have my 100yr old sourdough in the refer also, it never, yes I said never goes bad. I have personally had it since 1972, got it from a 90yr old neighbor that got it from here father. Just refresh it once in a while, thats all.


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

I have a container of yeast that I am using right now that the "best if used by" date was 3 years ago. It has been in my freezer. I can't tell if it is "slow" or not because it is so danged cold right now my bread is taking forever to rise.  (But it was working fine before this cold snap.)


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

ComputerGuy said:


> Are there any suggestions in storing yeast long term? I searched and saw the life is 1 year frozen, but what other ways are there to store or to ensure you have some for the future?


 I have about 25 pounds in a freezer,it should last for 5 yrs when the SHsTF. when we've used it all, then we'll go to a starter.


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## BasecampUSA (Dec 26, 2010)

lotsoflead said:


> I have about 25 pounds in a freezer,it should last for 5 yrs when the SHsTF. when we've used it all, then we'll go to a starter.


I've got about 10 pounds in my freezer all the time. We rotate it. Whenever there is a sign of crisis I go out and buy another 10 to boot.

We have some that we forgot we had since Y2K (*12 years old in freezer*), and it will still start and grow with sugar and water to make a tasty loaf of bread!

You can make you own yeast too!
http://www.atomicvole.org/docs/grow_yeast.pdf

- Basey


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## Herbalpagan (Dec 8, 2008)

frozen yeast will last 5 yrs. in the big vacuum packs on the shelf it will last for a couple of years.
making your own sourbough starter is easy and recipes are all over the web. that stuff will go on forever if you take care of it!


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## LadyIvy (Jan 16, 2011)

I have a question about this. I am extremely new to all of this so I apologize in advance as my questions will probably seem foolish.
For those of you that say you have large stores of yeast (and other foods) in the freezer, what plan do you have to keep the freezer going when the SHTF? Going on the assumption that when it really, really hits the fan that we will lose power for an extended time/forever.


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## nj_m715 (Oct 31, 2008)

I don't know how long it lasts. I have a few packs in the deep freezer in the basement but after learning about sourdough, there's no point in buying and storing what you can easily make.


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

LadyIvy said:


> I have a question about this. I am extremely new to all of this so I apologize in advance as my questions will probably seem foolish.
> For those of you that say you have large stores of yeast (and other foods) in the freezer, what plan do you have to keep the freezer going when the SHTF? Going on the assumption that when it really, really hits the fan that we will lose power for an extended time/forever.


With yeast you can move it to a cool, dark place and it will still remain good for a considerable length of time (like a couple of years at least). I used yeast packages that fell into the back of my spice cabinet and were there forever (no freezing or special care obviously) and it worked fine.

It is heat that kills yeast so the cooler the better in terms of long term storage, but unless the heat is extreme you will still have a considerable amount of time that it will be useable after exposed to "regular" conditions.


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

nj_m715 said:


> I don't know how long it lasts. I have a few packs in the deep freezer in the basement but after learning about sourdough, there's no point in buying and storing what you can easily make.


I have both (yeast stored in the freezer and sourdough) because I like the taste of "regular" breads as well as sourdough breads.

Just bought a bread book off the bargain rack that has a different section for breads that are popular in different regions of the world. I can hardly wait to start trying them out ... very interesting in terms of the histories behind some of them.


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## LadyIvy (Jan 16, 2011)

Good to know. Thanks Badge Bunny


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

With all this talk about yeast, it makes me think that maybe I should go out and buy some and learn how to make stuff with it. I have been cooking and baking for years (decades) and I have never done anything with yeast.

Looks like it is time to learn a new trick.


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

NaeKid said:


> With all this talk about yeast, it makes me think that maybe I should go out and buy some and learn how to make stuff with it. I have been cooking and baking for years (decades) and I have never done anything with yeast.
> 
> Looks like it is time to learn a new trick.


My husband thinks a SHTF situation is when I haven't baked and he has to eat store bought bread ... even the artisan stuff that they swear is home made doesn't cut it anymore ... 

Yeah ... he is spoiled ...


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## nj_m715 (Oct 31, 2008)

Don't sweat it Naekid, I find the baking powder stuff like biscuits or pancakes much easier than yeast stuff like bread anyway. I don't need to be Emeril, I'm happy to bake "ok" food for now. I'm sure it will improve with practice.


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## TwoHoot (Feb 17, 2011)

*Real World Yeast Storage Test*

Back in October, I found a half-used 4oz jar of Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast back in a cabinet corner. The expiration date on the lid was Jan 09 05. It has been opened and was 5 years out of date. I made bread with it and it worked just as well as a new package.

Storage conditions: It was out of sight in a dark cabinet corner. Our thermostat stays at 68 F in the winter and 78 F in the summer. I would estimate that the average storage temp for the years it was there to be about 76 F with an extreme low above 65 and an extreme high below 85. Humidity is low consistently.

For what it is worth.

Cordially,
TwoHoot


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

TwoHoot said:


> Back in October, I found a half-used 4oz jar of Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast back in a cabinet corner. The expiration date on the lid was Jan 09 05. It has been opened and was 5 years out of date. I made bread with it and it worked just as well as a new package.
> 
> Storage conditions: It was out of sight in a dark cabinet corner. Our thermostat stays at 68 F in the winter and 78 F in the summer. I would estimate that the average storage temp for the years it was there to be about 76 F with an extreme low above 65 and an extreme high below 85.* Humidity is low consistently.*
> 
> ...


**sigh** What I would give ...


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## TwoHoot (Feb 17, 2011)

<< Humidity is low consistently. >>

Maybe it is a matter of perspective - I moved here from Houston.

Cordially,
TwoHoot


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

TwoHoot said:


> << Humidity is low consistently. >>
> 
> Maybe it is a matter of perspective - I moved here from Houston.
> 
> ...


 LOL :2thumb:


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## nj_m715 (Oct 31, 2008)

I like to qualify many of my statements, so once again I am no expert but I'm pretty sure it takes heat or alcohol (during fermentation) to kill yeast. Other wise it's pretty tough. I think sourdough is the best way to go for LTS. Why buy what you can make for free.


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

nj_m715 said:


> I like to qualify many of my statements, so once again I am no expert but I'm pretty sure it takes heat or alcohol (during fermentation) to kill yeast. Other wise it's pretty tough. I think sourdough is the best way to go for LTS. Why buy what you can make for free.


I have worked with sourdough on and off for a couple of years now. Not sure what my problem is but my results are iffy at best.

I'll keep trying but given the fact that yeast will keep almost forever in a cool, dry, dark place I'll keep a few pounds back, just in case.


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## nj_m715 (Oct 31, 2008)

My yeast breads always come out heavy and feel like they didn;t rise enough, but the more I read about it, it seems that whole wheat just bakes up like that. Not as light and airy as white flour. Many people suggested blending in white flour, but I feel that defeats the LTS point of my cooking. I can live if my results, it's not bad just different than store bought bread. I'm still waiting for my starter to get a little more active. My house is cool so it's coming along slow. I'm very happy with my biscuits and pancakes, but they need baking powered. I really like the idea behind sourdough. No store bought stuff required. I have my fingers crossed.


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## SaskDame (Aug 27, 2010)

may I suggest googling bread forums and doing some reading. It did wonders for my success rate with sourdough bread production here at home.


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

nj_m715 said:


> My yeast breads always come out heavy and feel like they didn;t rise enough, but the more I read about it, it seems that whole wheat just bakes up like that. Not as light and airy as white flour. Many people suggested blending in white flour, but I feel that defeats the LTS point of my cooking. I can live if my results, it's not bad just different than store bought bread. I'm still waiting for my starter to get a little more active. My house is cool so it's coming along slow. I'm very happy with my biscuits and pancakes, but they need baking powered. I really like the idea behind sourdough. No store bought stuff required. I have my fingers crossed.


You might try adding what they call "dough enhancer". I have seen it in EE's catalog and though I haven't tried it myself, others have said it makes the bread "softer".

Good luck with the sourdough. Mine always tasted phenomenal, just too hard to eat after it cooled completely. :scratch I did make some the other day and added a couple of spoons of yeast to it. That seemed to help lighten it also.

Like you my house is somewhat on the cool side. I may try it again when the weather warms up ... I just feel like I am wasting flour every time I get bad results. Especially when I have a yeast bread recipe that seems to be foolproof (at least for me).


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

If you have breads that come out too heavy there is a way to use them up anyway.
I just make egg casseroles with them or bread puddings. Just cut the bread into little cubes and pour your favorite custard recipe over them and really soak them. or just add a good amount of veggie and scrambled egg(raw) over them and top with cheese and bake--a too heavy bread for just eating turns into a really nice meal/dessert.
Or I have sliced it really thin and then toasted/dried in the oven on low and then you whiz them up in the food processor and if they are dry enuf you end up with ready to use bread crumbs.


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## iouJC (Nov 20, 2010)

Uh....you are aware you can easily make your own yeast, and there is no real need to store it........aren't you??
Here are some recipies and ideas for you.....

How to make yeast

RecipeSource: Peach Leaf Starter And Drying

PEACH LEAF STARTER AND DRYING
Categories: Blank
Yield: 1 starter

--------------------------BREADS AND COFFEE CAKES--------------------------

---------------------------WITH HOMEMADE STARTERS---------------------------
1 qt Fresh peach leaves,
-unpacked
3 c Water
3 Baked potatoes, medium
-size
1/2 c Yellow corn meal
3 tb Sugar
2 ts Salt

Bring water to rolling boil and steep peach leaves in it for 15 minutes.
Drain liquid and add enough water to make 3 full cups again. This will have
a rather unappetizing green color but don't worry! It will disappear
during the fermentation process. Peel hot baked potatoes and put through a food mill or sieve. Scald 1/2 cup corn meal in 1 cup of the liquid until
it reaches boiling point and thickens. Stir constantly so that it will not
become lumpy. Now combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl (do not use
metal or plastic). Cover with cheesecloth and set in warm place (about 80
to 85F) until well fermented. In warm humid weather this will take about 24
hours. In cool dry weather a few more hours may be required for mixture to
become active throughout. Stir every few hours during the process. When it is ready, pour into a large glass jar (I use a 2 quart glass pickle jar
with porcelain lined zinc lid). Store in refrigerator at about 38 degrees.
If necessary stir down a time or two until it stops foaming. It is ready
for use when about 1/2 inch of clear liquid has risen to the top. This will
take about 2 days.
Stir well each time before using.

When the starter has been used down to about 1 cupful, add 3 cups water, 3
medium sized baked potatoes, 1/2 cup corn meal scaled in 1 cup water, 3
Tbsp. sugar and 2 tsp. salt prepared as for the first time (no peach
leaves). Set in warm place until it becomes very active in about 6 to 8
hours. Store in refrigerator and it will be ready for use the next day.

Peach Leaf Dry Starter:

Follow directions for making Peach Leaf Starter until it is ready to store
in refrigerator. Sterilize about 2 quarts of corn meal for 1 hour in oven,
at low temperature so that it will not brown. Stir often. After it has
cooled stir as much of this into the fermented mixture as it will absorb.
Spread 1/2 inch thick in flat pans. When it has set enough, cut into 1-1/2
inch squares. Separate and lay on clean towels or absorbent paper to dry.
Do not place in the sun. Be careful that insects do not have access to it
during the drying process. When completely dry and hard, wrap each cake in
small squares of cellophane and seal with tape. Store in refrigerator in
moisture proof container. This will keep for a year or more.

Only a portion of the starter mixture may be taken to make a small amount
of cakes if desired. Then only a proportionate amount of corn meal need be
sterilized.

A starter from Dry Yeast:

A starter can be made by combining 1 cake Peach Leaf Dry Yeast, 1/2 cup
warm water, 1/2 tsp. ginger and 1 tsp. sugar in glass bowl. Cover with
cheesecloth and let stand in warm place (80 to 85 ) until a white film
covers the top of the water. This will only take overnight in warm, humid
weather, a little longer in cool weather. Add 1/2 cup water (room temp.),
1/2 cup white flour and 1 tsp. sugar. Let stand until foaming actively.
Stir often. Pour into glass fruit jar and store in refrigerator with lid
loose until foaming has stopped. As soon as about 1/2 inch of clear liquid
has risen to the top the starter has ripened enough to use.

Posted 10-17-93 by PAT STOCKETT on F-Cooking

How to make yeast

Or just leave a small amount of dough batter out in the open air for wild yeast spores to get in and start fermenting. That's how sourdoughs worked in the old days. You might get a bad batch with molds or other undesirable spores, which is the risk you get with wilds, but that is why you only use a small amount of dough to start with. You can use just a couple of vessels, you can cover with a cheese cloth or netting to keep out bugs, with small amounts of sugar (or syrup, or molasses, or honey) and flour in water. The natural yeasts will find it. Use the ones that have a musty bread-dough scent, discard ones with an off-smell or discoloration. You will KNOW the good from the bad. The best smells like bread dough, then you get some that smell like beer as it bubbles and ferments, then there are the rancid, horrible and downright nauseating ones. Probably still usable, since bread yeasts are EVERYWHERE, but I would just toss that out. Virtually everything, including the raw flours you are using, have some lactobacilli and bread yeasts hanging on them, and you just need to provide a good "home" and dinner for them to start up a sourdough. 
__________________
How to Make Yeast

Would you like to make your own yeast? While commercial yeast is readily available, some bakers feel that wild yeast gives their bread a richer flavor. Read on as this article explains how to make yeast. 
Yeast is a living organism that feeds on natural sugars, producing carbon dioxide to leaven bread. Yeast is also responsible for fermentation, and is used to make wine as well as beer. Wild yeasts are airborne, and can sometimes be "captured" to make your own dry yeast if there is enough yeast in the air. Follow the steps below to get started making yeast. 
PBS, ''Zoom'': How to Make Yeast Active

YouTube 5min Break.com Vimeo Flowplayer

ZOOM - Yeast

The properties of yeast are discussed. Yeast is a single cell living organism that becomes active when provided with warm water and sugar (for food). The results of activating the yeast with warmth and sugar are shown. Activated yeast produces carbon dioxide bubbles which causes bread to rise while baking.

Step 1: Capture the Yeast
This method is dependent on how much wild yeast is circulating in the air in your kitchen at any given time. Baking frequently adds yeast to the air, so trying to capture the yeast soon after baking bread will help ensure success. 
Combine in a bowl: 
2 cups of warm water 
1 tablespoon of sugar 
2 cups of flour 
Cover the bowl with cheesecloth and place in a warm area in your kitchen. 
Stir the mixture once a day. 
It will begin to bubble when you have captured yeast. 
Allow the mixture to continue to sit for 3-4 days after you first notice the bubbles. 
Step 2: Dry the Yeast
Spread the liquid mixture out on plastic wrap or waxed paper to dry. 
When it is dry, break the dried yeast into chunks. 
Grind the chunks into small particles using a the food processor. 
Freeze the yeast in an airtight container for long term storage. 
Yeast will become dormant when they do not have warmth and a food source such as sugar. 
Step 3: Use the Yeast
This yeast is not as concentrated as commercial yeast. Plan on substituting one cup of homemade yeast for one ounce of commercial yeast. 
Dissolve one cup of homemade yeast in one cup of whatever liquid your recipe calls for. 
Make the dough, decreasing the flour used by one cup. 
Knead and allow to rise as usual; be aware that he dough may take longer to double in size than if you'd used commercial yeast. 
The yeast is what causes the bread to rise due to the carbon dioxide it gives off inside the dough.


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