Hi Elizabeth, we generally advise that you try to use your starter discard up within a week, but I've noticed my discard lasts longer than that, particularly if I'm adding "fresh" discard to the pot regularly. I keep mine in the fridge for about 2-3 weeks, and then dump everything out and begin fresh after that. 

Discard recipes vary a lot, but most allow you to use the starter straight from the refrigerator. It's true that the sourdough waffle recipe calls for an overnight starter made with the discard, but if you're looking for a quick and easy way to use up a lot of starter discard, check out our Sourdough Crumpets recipe. I've just recently started making these myself and it's a fun and easy way to use up starter discard, that may even get you feeding your starter more often. Many discard recipes are looking to add a little flavor and acidity to the recipe, without relying on the starter for rising, so you're fine to add slightly aged discard to a recipe like our sourdough biscuits or sourdough pancakes, but you'll be better off using starter discard that is fairly fresh (a week or less) for bread recipes like our Do Nothing Sourdough, which will ultimately depend on the discard for rising. 

I hope this helps! 

Barb

• Reply