So about three weeks ago, I revived a sourdough starter I had in the fridge for a year. This had been a 100 year old starter, the story being it survived even being moved on covered wagon across the Oregon trail. My uncle gave me some a year ago but I never got into baking.
Well, I decided to change that (hence the reviving three weeks ago). It took about a week to get bubbly again and I had renamed her. I made my first two loaves and a batch of bagels shortly thereafter. For about 1 week, it’s been in the fridge between feedings.
Well, a couple of days ago I was working a ten hour shift and I come home to the fridge cleaned, thought nothing of it. Today I go to find some jarred garlic and notice there’s a little more space in the top shelf of the door. Well. Long story short, my stepdad threw out the whole jar- not even dumped it and left it to wash, the whole thing. This was my baby. I’m devastated. This week I was going to make dried discard so I could revive her if need be but now it’s too late.
The worst part is he saw me making sourdough and even asked “what is that?” To my jar with the rubber band around it in the fridge. Either he forgot or simply didn’t care but he threw it out. I’m just sad.
I was just beginning my hobby, bought all of the things and now? I know I could make a new one but that’s not the point. I basically rebirthed that thing from the depths of hell! Anyway, just a little rant to someone who might care.
Tl;dr: stepdad threw away my baby
Picture for memorial.
by justcurrentthoughts
27 Comments
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Stepdad needs to be kicked in the shins.
I’m not even lying, I’d be dumpster diving. Idc
😔🥺
Where are You located? Maybe someone could give You some
What’s left to do? Start again.
Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry. That’s just awful!
I’m going to bet that someone here wuold be happy to send you a frozen or dried starter to get you going again.
(I know I would if you wanted to DM me. I can give you my real name and can get your address to send you some of mine. His name is Philip Hamildough and he’s the son of Alexandough Hamilton – given to me by a friend in Sacramento, CA)
If it’s in a (roughly) sealed jar, chances are it’s fine even after a few days to even a week in the trash. Go get it back, a starter that storied deserves to live!
Source: have revived multiple starters. Have also dumpster dived professionally, was paid well by my employer to sort through residential garbage looking for very small, well hidden things many many times. It’s only smells, and anything you get on you can be washed off. Yes, even the thing you’re thinking of right now.
OP, if your stepdad doesn’t fish it out, you need to go back and get it provided the garbage men haven’t sent it through the trucks yet. I’ll help and support you in any way I can, shit, if you’re in my area I’ll go dumpster diving for you just to keep that history alive. I have skin-safe homemade remedies for most every smell and grease and grime removal you’ll come across in regular household trash, PM me if you need help.
Worst case are you maybe able to get more starter from your uncle?
I’m sorry for your loss. Time to move out so he stops tossing your stuff….
Ur step dad sucks. Throw out something of his pls🙏🏻
I can empathise… I had a SIL do the same thing with my starter, although she didn’t throw the jar out, just ‘cleaned’ it and put it through the dishwasher so there was nothing to save. It didn’t have the amazing history yours did but it was something I’d created from scratch so I was gutted! Four years later, I’ve only just gotten into sourdough again using a dried starter a friend sent me when she heard what happened. I was too scarred to get back into it before that lol.
I really hope you can salvage it! Fingers crossed for you from someone who understands in Qld, Australia 🤞🏼
My husband did the same thing. I went through the trash for it. 😂
You can sign up to get the same starter(probably) send them a self addressed envelope and they’ll mail back some freeze dried starter! It might take awhile because it’s ran by volunteers and social media has kind of blown them up. If you are in western Oregon I have some for you 💖
Oh oops I forgot to include the link:
carlsfriends.net
Imma be that guy that reminds you the Oregon trail was way over 100 years ago. I suppose that makes the story worse. Sorry for your loss. I hope you find it in the trash if you look!
Sometimes jars get broken, or the starter gets killed by a family member who microwaves it or heats it in the oven or leaves it on top of a hot stove, so we have our discard jar in the fridge to go to as a back up. But when you have a person with access to your home who decides to “clean” your refrigerator, nothing can protect you. I’m sorry this happened to you.
Hope you can get some more. And if you can’t, a starter that’s been well taken care of for a few months will probably stand in for this one just fine. It may not have a poignant 19th century story behind it, but my local “made in my kitchen” San Francisco starter has been doing well for years, and it’s just as strong and tasty as any other starter I’ve tried. You will survive. Your stepdad may not be so lucky!
My dear, send off for a new one [Oregon trail starter](https://carlsfriends.net/source.html)
Does your uncle have any more discard you can rehome?
From what I understand, even with these old starters, the yeast eventually switches to the new yeast from your own environment over time. Make your own starter! It’s easy.
Your starter was beautiful. I’m sorry that your stepdad sucks so much. You shouldn’t let him eat any of your sourdough ever.
As a newbie, this makes my heart hurt. I am so sorry. This makes me think I should label my jars as Don’t Touch. LOL
Ahh that is devastating. 🙁 I’m so sorry. Is there any way your uncle could give you a little more??
Just make a new one. This business about it retaining anything from the past is silly. People just keep it forever because it’s like a week or twos worth of effort to make it again.
OMG 😳 I’m so sorry that is heartbreaking 🥹💔
Sorry for your loss. This is a good reminder for all of us to make backups 🙁
You can get a replacement from carls sourdough starter place! [carrrrrrrl!](https://carlsfriends.net)
Sorry to hear about that. Glad to see you have many options to replace that starter. When it you get another one, please make some back up – a little in the freezer, fridge and even dried. Just so you are covered.
Was there still some in the jar? Maybe try to put flour and water and see if it keeps going.