Hi Bonnie, it's generally fine to stir the hooch back into the starter when feeding, but when the starter has been neglected in the fridge for an extended time and the hooch looks very dark, I usually pour it off. While it won't hurt to stir it in, it's not going to add anything positive to your starter at this point.
July 19, 2024 at 10:00am
In reply to Is the sourdough hooch a bad… by Bonnie S (not verified)
Hi Bonnie, it's generally fine to stir the hooch back into the starter when feeding, but when the starter has been neglected in the fridge for an extended time and the hooch looks very dark, I usually pour it off. While it won't hurt to stir it in, it's not going to add anything positive to your starter at this point.