Homemade Yeast- Make your own and save $$$

                                                                 Yeast is yeast  ??

Yesterday, at the store a three pack of Fleischmann's  yeast cost $2.25, now it is a great product, a solid and reliable brand, no fail ever for me, but it just cost too much .

Call me "green, frugal, cheap, or just smart" I do not buy store bought yeast anymore.

In the "old days" folks needed yeast to cook their daily bread-  Fleischmanns did not exist. What did they do?

"They extended the yeast that they already had," it is a simple natural process that  I have up-dated to modern ingredients and measurements.

Step 1: Ingredients Needed:

3 Packets of regular active yeast - not rapid rise

2 Cups of Corn Meal- Approx.

1/2 Cup of Sugar

1/2 Cup of Flour

1 Teaspoon of Ginger (either fresh grated or powdered)

Enough potatoes peeled and cooked  to make 1 cup of mashed potatoes

Comments

[bowow0807]

Can I do the same thing with my sourdough starter? I mean if ever my starter dies I can restart it with this. And can I share this over at thefreshloaf? This is something that would really help a lot of bakers over there.

[ClayOgre]

Why not rapid rise yeast? What about Instant yeast? (I generally prefer to use instant yeast).

[sunshiine]

Thank you so much for posting this! I can't wait to share the link.
Sunshiine

[kalimo]

How long can you store the yeast for?

[Anodean]

I have kept those one- or two-pound wholesale bags of yeast in the back of my refrigerator for well over two years without failure. When I began to use an even older bag, it was for the closely calibrated recipes used in bread machines - and it did fine in there, too, so it was definitely good as new.

When not using a bread machine, I routinely double the yeast called for because it rises faster - folklore notwithstanding, this does not alter the product at all. (A "yeasty" taste in breads is caused by too-warm rising conditions.) After all, the little plants were going to double in number anyway... Heh.

Great 'ible, bywaterdog! Don't mind us lazy lunks. ;D

[bywaterdog]

I usually run out at about 6 months, but it should keep in the freezer for a year.

It has never "not worked" for me.

[westfw]

dry yeast is one of those "interesting" products that is MUCH cheaper at a big-box store like Costco. They sell a 2lb bag of dry yeast for about $5 (compared to the "bulk" price in a regular grocery store of $10 for 4oz. I don't know why the price is so different...

[Treasure Tabby]

Great Instructable. But can you use lemon juice instead of ginger?

Also this reminds me of making sour dough and then leaving it in the fridge for when ever you need to use it.

[JPcreo]

Wow original instructables.
I was wondering why the ginger?

[Cai]

The ginger is for the bit of acid that the yeast likes, and yes, yeast likes acid. I am sure a bit of vitamin c or a vitamin c pill would work.(Crushed) This instructable is GENIOUS! I am sick of my starter going bad if I wait too long between loaves...thanks for this awesome instructable!