Learn how and why you should save a neglected black sourdough starter and how to determine if you keep or throw away the black liquid (hooch).
So you pull out your long forgotten sourdough starter from the back of the refrigerator and realize…it has turned black!
When you see a black liquid on top of your sourdough starter, don’t panic and don’t throw it away! This is fermented liquid that can potentially be used to make the best sourdough you have ever made.
Now you may have read that you need to discard the black liquid but I don’t. I now consider this to be liquid gold and the key to my signature sourdough bread.
Jump to:
This sourdough starter above sat in my refrigerator for 8 MONTHS.
That is 8 months completely neglected and without a single feeding. The first 4 months was unintentional as I accidentally forgot the poor thing in the back of the fridge. At that point I decided to do a little experiment and see how long a sourdough starter could sit neglected in a refrigerator.
I couldn’t be happier with the results.
Steps to save a sourdough starter with black liquid on top
- Make sure there is no mold or orange/pink streaks. If there is mold or orange/pink streaks then throw it away.
- Smell the sourdough starter. The aroma will determine weather you keep the black liquid or drain it off. If there is a pleasant yeasty and sour smell then keep the liquid and stir it into the existing starter. If there is a strong, unpleasant like nail polish remover then discard the liquid and keep the thicker starter underneath.
- Feed the starter by placing ¼ cup starter, ¼ cup warm filtered water, and ½ cup unbleached all purpose flour into a clean glass jar that holds at least 3 cups.
- Continue on your normal feeding schedule 1-2 times per day.
Honestly, there are two rules I have to throwing away a sourdough starter…mold or orange/pink streaks. If you see either of these things, toss it and start over. Otherwise revive it by feeding it on a regular feeding schedule until bubbly and active.
There is a black liquid sitting on top of your sourdough and you are wondering what to do with it. This black liquid (hooch) is actually normal and doesn’t necessarily mean your starter has gone bad. If there is no mold or orange/pink streaks in the sourdough starter, it is still ok to use. You essentially have two choices for the black liquid: keep it or skim it and throw it away. My preference is to stir it into the sourdough if you can. How do you know if you can? Simply smell it. If the starter and hooch have a pleasant yeasty smell then stir the black liquid right into the thick starter underneath. This will produce the most gloriously sour sourdough. If it has a strong smell that isn’t appetizing, like nail polish remover, then skim the black hooch off of the top and discard.
How To Save A Black Sourdough Starter
Equipment
- clean glass jar with loose fitting lid
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sourdough starter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour unbleached
- ¼ cup water filtered, warm
Instructions
- Make sure there is no mold or orange/pink streaks. If there is mold or orange/pink streaks then throw it away.
- Smell the sourdough starter. The aroma will determine weather you keep the black liquid or drain it off. If there is a pleasant yeasty and sour smell then keep the liquid and stir it into the existing starter. If there is a strong, unpleasant like nail polish remover then discard the liquid and use the thicker starter underneath.
- Feed the starter by placing ¼ cup starter, ¼ cup warm filtered water, and ½ cup unbleached all purpose flour into a clean glass jar that holds at least 3 cups.
- Continue on your normal feeding schedule 1-2 times per day until the starter is active and bubbly.
JoAnn Garrigan says
I don’t understand. Are you saying to start a new starter or are you suggesting to add those ingredients to the old starter?
Melinda says
You will add the ingredients to the old starter using this recipe:
1/4 cup starter, 1/4 cup warm filtered water, and 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour into a clean glass jar that holds at least 3 cups. Hope this helps!
Jeffrey A. Nintzel says
Hi Melinda, I know your post has been out there for awhile, but hoping you’ll see this and be able to help. I am totally new at sourdough, I had starter in the fridge for 10 days as I had to go out of town. It had hooch that was getting dark. NO mold or colored streaks. I am trying your method to revive. I want my bread as sour as possible! I fed it last night. Today it is bubbly, even foamy. It is more liquid than I thought it would be. It still smells nice and sour, not like polish remover, lol. Can you offer advice? Thanks! Jeff
Melinda says
Hi! All sourdough starters are unique. Some are thick, some are loose. The consistency will likely change over several feedings as well so just keep going. As long as it is active and bubbly it should yield good results.
Julie Nemelka says
Hi Melinda, I just fed my starter for the first time to try and revive it. On my next feeding, do I take any out, or do I leave it in and give it half cup flour and 1/4 cup warm water? Thank you for your help!! ❤️
Julie
Melinda says
Hi Julie!
On your next feeding you will take out 1/4 cup of the starter and add it to a new container. To that you will add 1/4 cup warm filtered water and 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour. Continue this feeding schedule until your starter is active and bubbly. Enjoy!
Melinda
Meg says
…so I’m really only keeping 1/4 cup of the original batch that I have stirred the “hootch” into? Is that correct?
Melinda says
Correct!
Sarah says
I thought my Sourdough starter was bad because it had black on it. I scraped some off and put water in it to rinse the jar out not much. Then I decided to look at up and see if it was really bad. Found your website. Drained the water off put it back in the fridge. Do you think it will be OK?
Melinda says
Honestly I’m not sure, but I think it is unlikely that it will recover. Try feeding it for a few days and see if you notice any bubbles showing that it is active. If it gets nice and bubbly then it may be ok to use but the consistency may differ from the previous starter.
Karel Hansen says
Hi Melinda ,
After you get your beautiful bubbly starter do you have a detailed recipe to actually make bread! Tried and true:)
Karel
Melinda says
I do! This is my go-to recipe for a beautiful sourdough bread. Enjoy! https://missourigirlhome.com/sourdough-bread/
Nina says
Do you refrigerate or leave on counter? Thanks in advance
Melinda says
You will want to leave it on the counter in a warm spot to revive the starter and feed it. Once the starter is nice and bubbly you can put it back in the refrigerator if you don’t plan on using it soon. Hope this helps!
Kim says
I have had my starter on my countertops for about a month and have not fed it or stored it in the frig. It has a liquid on the top surface, a dark golden honey color. I’m scared to open the lid… can it be revived or should I throw the whole thing out?!
Melinda says
I have never just left mine on the countertop without refrigerating it so I am hesitant to try and save it. I also can’t say it has gone bad. If it doesn’t smell bad, have mold, or red streaks it may be ok but sometimes it is good to error on the side of caution and just throw it away and start from scratch.