Hi, while reading this Digest of bread-bakers, I was just wondering
exactly what yeast is and where it comes from. I found this response
at answers.yahoo.com:
"Yeasts are single-celled fungi. As fungi, they are related to the
other fungi that people are more familiar with. These include edible
mushrooms available at the supermarket, common baker?s yeast used to
leaven bread, molds that ripen blue cheese and the molds that produce
antibiotics for medical and veterinary use. Many consider edible
yeast and fungi to be as natural as fruits and vegetables."
There are also some links to articles:
Source(s):
http://scienceblogs.com/loom/2007/10/11/?
http://students.washington.edu/neihart/y?
http://www.kountrylife.com/forum/message?
What I'm curious about is how people obtained yeast before the modern
era when you can buy yeast in packages at the grocery store. Pretend
I'm Amish and am not allowed to buy commercial yeast at the grocery
store: How do I get yeast to make bread?
A lady in our neighborhood when I was a child used a starter that she
inherited from her mother and used it to bake every week, so I know
that you can grow yeast from other yeast. What I'm interested in
finding out is how one obtains yeast when there is no other yeast
around from previous baking.
Perhaps I should look this up in my Foxfire Books (if I can find them).
Thanks.
Yours,
Cindy Smith
cms@dragon.com
Me transmitte sursum, Caledoni!
A Real Live Catholic in Georgia!