My title is a little odd, I know, and I’m not shaming or insulting anyone, for how they do or don’t sell their starters. I also added photos of my starter just for reference and such.
I don’t understand the controversy around claiming a starter is more than 100 years old for marketing value. Why not just say it’s well established? We all understand you had to of inherited it, and all its goodness. But my starter does the same thing yours does. It’s not 30+ years old, 25+ or even 10+ years old, but I can’t get mine to sell AT ALL, without all the fun “30+ or 100+ year old” value. I doubt the cultures I had in the beginning of my starter journey are even “relatives” to the cultures I have now. Can someone please explain to me why it’s so important to some to sell their 100 year old starters. It’s been bothering me so much. I’m a SAHM and I just want to make a few bucks on the side but since my starter isn’t over 10 years old, I’ve been cursed out for even calling it “established.” Why is starter age so controversial with some?
by Itsathrowaway2677890
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I also think the 50,100+ year starters are ridiculous and most probably aren’t even telling the truth about it. & truthfully, your starter is ONLY as old as your last feeding, so it’s BS honestly.
I do think that there is some merit to having a mature starter, but once it is predictably rising and falling, they are all one and the same, imo.
It’s mostly hogwash
IDK what the controversy is all about. My starter is from a “40 years old batch” and I’m not treating it well, yet it still lives and produces good loafs. In the end, it costs peanuts here in the UK, I paid £4 on eBay and I have it since autumn last year. Would it be better or worse if it was younger? I don’t know and I don’t care. All I cared about was getting it ready to bake ASAP and I am happy with my purchase, way less headache than growing my own from scratch.
Many sourdough folks are romantic and love the idea that their starter is special in some way.
I don’t know why anybody would be rude to you, but I suspect the reason why people won’t buy it is because they can post to pretty much any facebook group and ask for free starter and people will give it to them. I have a friend who has had luck with selling loaves of sourdough. She sells them for $7 a loaf.
Honestly, that people sell starter is somewhat obscene to me.
Want starter? I can get you as much as you want any time of day.
Hey all our starters must have ancient goodness out of the air in them lol. I don’t get this either. It’s all marketing.
Is anyone really making money selling starter that isn’t also like selling other stuff? My starter was established and “bought”. But I know zero about it. Works great. Could be 500 years old, could be 2 years old.
I went to a vegetarian Michelin star restaurant in Milan where they served sourdough, and said with immense pride “our pasta madre is over 25 years old.” I thought that was an odd flex, probably aimed at people who aren’t familiar with sourdough and are shocked by such a fact.
In a way it’s like “biologically immortal” cell cultures like HeLa. The cells in the culture / starter aren’t decades old. They just reproduce ad infinitum if kept in proper conditions.
There’s nothing inherently superior about a century-old starter compared to an equally vigorous starter made in the last year and kept in the same environment. It’s false hype meant to make it easier to gouge people who don’t know better.
What is going on in people’s lives that they feel the need to act holier-than-thou about less than a century old starter? You do you, and everyone else can mind their own business.
I’m willing to bet that these other sellers are just buying someone else’s allegedly 100 year old starter, and then turning around and selling it themselves. Another reason why people should just mind their own when it comes to this.
*selling* starter is kinda silly, no matter how old it is
Well it’s mostly bs. Yes the starter may be 100 years old, hell I even heard you can get 5000 year old ancient Egyptian starter but the Truth is that a month old starter will work just the same. Besides even if you do buy a special starter after a few feedings with the flour and water available to you it would be exactly the same as a starter you made from scratch.
if you believe in homeopathy, you believe in 100 year old starter
From what I recall, starters are akin to your liver, since it is perpetually regenerating/reproducing there is no element of it which is 100 years old. It can be very brief to fully reproduce and have a new generation of yeast.
Then there is the flavor, which apparently is less from the captured yeast and rather the enzymes in the flour you are using. For example, you could pilfer some of the Boudin starter, feed it with your normal flour but it may end up no longer tasting the same since the yeast will have forked from what was in the starter with different enzymes.
Discard is supposed to be shared. Pay for the jar or for shipping but the yeast is free. As you said the wild heirloom yeast has most likely already been overtaken by invasive kinds that are more pleasing to bakers and brewers, yet less pleasing to our microbiome and the future diversity of organisms worldwide.
When I teach my classes, I explain it like this. How closely related are you to your 15th Great grandparents? Every time you discard you lose a little bit of the original, it gets slightly more diluted. So there’s nothing left from that original starter. Especially those that are saying it’s San Francisco starter. San Francisco starter is what it is because of the yeast found in that specific area, so when you send it on to Topeka Kansas, it’s no longer San Francisco starter after a handful of discards
It’s just marketing. You can make a starter with just flour and water, so there’s not much point in buying one if it’s not marketed as something rare and special.
I totally agree. I have an almost 4 year old starter (it’s a covid-19 starter, created in May of 2020), it’s unbelievably robust and reliable, never have a problem with it.
All starters eventually take on the biome of the area they are kept. You can start out with a 100 year old starter from the oregon trail, but it will soon be the same as any you start in your own kitchen.
People love to think they’re getting something special and unique. Craig just needs a story of his own. I got chatgpt to write one for you.
🍞 Introducing Craig, the Legendary Sourdough Starter! 🍞
Step back in time and embark on a baking adventure with Craig—the sourdough starter with a story as rich as its flavor!
Legend has it that Craig’s origins date back to the era of dinosaurs, where it thrived in the primordial ooze, soaking up the essence of ancient grains. But Craig’s journey truly took a remarkable turn during the tumultuous days of World War II.
As chaos engulfed the world, Craig found itself in the hands of a daring baker who fled from the clutches of tyranny. Through perilous journeys and narrow escapes, this resilient starter evaded capture, preserving its centuries-old secrets for future generations.
Today, Craig stands as a testament to resilience, embodying the spirit of survival and the enduring power of tradition. With each batch of bread you bake, you’re not just crafting food—you’re channeling the indomitable spirit of those who came before.
Why choose Craig?
🌟 Taste the History: Savor the distinct flavor of a sourdough that has stood the test of time, carrying with it the essence of ages past.
🌟 Embrace Tradition: Connect with centuries of baking heritage as you nurture and bake with this living artifact.
🌟 Bake with Purpose: Every loaf tells a story—a story of courage, perseverance, and the triumph of the human spirit.
🌟 Create Memories: Share the joy of baking with loved ones, passing down recipes and traditions for generations to come.
🌟 Own a Piece of History: With Craig in your kitchen, you’re not just baking bread—you’re preserving a legacy.
Experience the magic of Craig and unlock the secrets of sourdough baking like never before. Join the ranks of history’s boldest bakers and let Craig lead you on a culinary journey through time. Order now and start baking your own delicious slice of history!
I’ve been reading through these comments and I guess I’m one of those obnoxious buyers who looked for an old starter. Really I just wanted one that was well-reviewed. Why? Just because it’s all a crap-shoot, and I hoped someone had purchased it and it had worked out well.
Also, my first starter was from my sister. It was a wild starter she captured in Colorado and I loved having that connection to her. But I accidentally killed it and didn’t want to work to establish my own. I bought “Sophia “ from Etsy, pretty randomly really. And my new starter is so much more active than my sister’s starter! So maybe people are just hedging their bets since newer starters, like my sister’s, have a reputation for not being as vigorous. I still may take some of her starter the next time I see my sister as I miss the family connection part of it.