My sourdough starter was a total mess and I had to choose between tossing it or trying a crazy rescue

I went with the rescue, feeding it with whole rye flour and pineapple juice for three days straight, and it actually came back to life stronger than before, so has anyone else revived a starter that seemed completely dead?

4 comments

4 Comments

daniel_gonzalez2mo ago

Pineapple juice is a great trick for acidity. Just be careful, that much sugar can sometimes lead to off flavors later.

elliotm572mo ago

Pineapple juice is basically a cheat code for a starter that's gone too far. It's wild how the acidity can reset the whole thing. @daniel_gonzalez has a good point about the sugar, but a short burst of it seems to kickstart the good yeast into fighting back. The real test is if it makes a decent loaf after all that drama, and mine actually did.

the_christopher2mo ago

Remember thinking pineapple juice was a total gimmick... like, why not just use water? But I had a starter go really bad last winter, and I was ready to dump it. Tried the pineapple juice thing out of pure stubbornness, and it totally worked. It cuts through the bad stuff. @daniel_gonzalez is right about watching the sugar, though. I switched back to water feeds after a couple days once it was bubbling again. Kind of amazing what can come back from the brink.

logan_mitchell1mo ago

...and honestly that pineapple juice trick feels like sorcery or something, right? I had a starter that looked like a science experiment gone wrong (think moldy and smelling like nail polish remover) and figured it was a lost cause. Gave it a shot with the juice and some dark rye, and three days later it was bubbling away like nothing ever happened. The weird thing is that starter ended up being the most reliable one I've ever had, like it got tougher from almost dying. It's a real gamble, but man, when it pays off it's pretty satisfying.