My sourdough starter was a dud for 6 months until I started using pineapple juice instead of water

I kept getting this lifeless, grey starter that barely bubbled no matter how much I fed it. Then a baker at the farmer's market near me said to swap the water for pineapple juice in the first 3 days to lower the pH and kill off bad bacteria. I tried it with my new batch and it was doubling in size by day 4. Has anyone else used fruit juice to jumpstart a starter?

2 comments

2 Comments

foster.jordan5d ago

Watch the acidity level though. I had a buddy who used straight lemon juice for a week and his starter turned into a science experiment that smelled like a pickle jar. Ended up with a pH so low the yeast couldn't even survive. He had to start over from scratch. Pineapple juice works because it's got natural sugars plus a mild acid. Orange juice is okay but it's got way more sugar so you might get a false rise from fermentation instead of actual yeast activity. Keep it to 3 days max with any juice, then switch back to plain water once you see consistent bubbles.

davidkim5d ago

Dan from my baking group used orange juice for his first 5 days and his starter took off like crazy after that. I think the citric acid really does help knock back the bad bacteria while the yeast gets a foothold. Have you noticed any difference in the flavor of your bread since using the juice?