My sourdough starter was a total dud until I tried a pineapple juice trick

I followed a basic recipe for 5 days and got nothing but a smelly jar of goo. A baker friend in Portland told me to ditch the water and use unsweetened pineapple juice for the first two feeds. I tried it last Tuesday, and within 24 hours it was bubbling like crazy. The acidity in the juice apparently fights off bad bacteria and lets the good yeast take over. Has anyone else had to rescue a starter with something weird?

3 comments

3 Comments

ross.kevin1mo ago

That pineapple juice trick is wild. My grandma used to swear by a teaspoon of honey in the first feed, said it gave the yeast something to party with.

olivia_harris1924d ago

Mine actually did best with a mix - half rye, half white flour. The pineapple juice got it going on day two, but the honey really helps with that first feed too. I started using a tablespoon of honey instead of sugar and it sped things up by a solid 24 hours in my experience. But yeah, with rye you might need to give it an extra day or two, that stuff is dense and takes longer to break down. Your grandma was onto something though, honey has natural enzymes that give the yeast a real kickstart. Just make sure its raw honey, the processed stuff doesnt have the same effect.

nathana481mo ago

Wonder if the pineapple juice thing only works with certain flours. I used rye and it still took forever to get going.