Everyone is talking about yeast - or not, because it is often sold out. That is why it is particularly important now not to make mistakes with the yeast you have.
Yeast has become a scarce commodity in many places. Are you one of the lucky ones who still have fresh yeast in the fridge or found a packet of dry yeast in the kitchen drawer? Then make no mistakes now that could ruin your baking.
The reason why many baking beginners "tremble" in front of the yeast dough is its moody nature. Sometimes it rises, sometimes not * and apparently completely without cause. But that is often not entirely true, then a widespread mistake, especially among occasional bakers, is often the simple root of the "evil".
While many foods that are hidden in your fridge or in your kitchen drawers just spoil, yeast actually dies . The raising agent consists of living mushroom cells that only have a certain lifespan. Fresh yeast has a shelf life of ten to 14 days when refrigerated, only about a week open in the refrigerator, and only two days when refrigerated.
Does fresh yeast have to go directly to the trash after it has expired?
No, you can save the yeast from the trash can by checking it thoroughly :
- Does the yeast smell very intense and unpleasant?
- Is the yeast greasy?
- Has mold formed on the yeast?
If you can answer 'no' to these questions, there is a good chance that you can still use the yeast. Find dried spots, just remove them and use the yeast as you intended. But be careful: since fungal cells have already died, the yeast's driving force may not be as strong . So expect longer walking times.
How long is dry yeast stable?
So while fresh yeast should be consumed fairly quickly, you can take it a little more relaxed with dry yeast *. This product removes water from the yeast to make it durable. In this way, the manufacturers have a shelf life of dry yeast of several years . You will find a best before date on the small bags. But here too, just because you missed the date, the yeast doesn't have to go straight to the trash. The dry yeast may still be usable for several weeks to months afterwards.
Also interesting: With this common mistake you ruin cake and bread
So you can test whether fresh yeast and dry yeast is still active
So that you do not ruin your baking project because, contrary to all good assumptions, there were not enough living fungi in your yeast, you can use two simple tests to check whether the yeast is still active :
If you have made sure with these two methods that your yeast is still alive and well, you will be spared disappointing yeast dough experiences in the future. You can also use the second method to test homemade yeast *.
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* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.