How to store sourdough discard (and how long it keeps)
Keep one covered jar in the fridge and add to it after every feed. It keeps about 14 days — it only gets more sour — and a few months in the freezer. Use the oldest first; any mold means throw it away, jar and all.
A clean jar with a loose lid. Scrape each feed’s leftover into it.
2
Stir in the liquid
Grey liquid on top is hooch — hunger, not spoilage. Stir it in, or pour it off for a milder taste.
3
Use it within two weeks
Up to about 14 days in the fridge. Older discard is very sour; bake with it or start a fresh jar.
4
Freeze what you will not use
In small portions (an ice-cube tray works); thaw in the fridge overnight.
Why
Discard is starter that is not fed any more: in the cold the yeast and bacteria slow right down, and the acid they keep making is what makes old discard tangy — and what keeps most spoilage away. It is raw flour, so it is always cooked.
Questions
Can discard go bad?
Yes: mold (fuzz, or pink, orange or red streaks) means throw it away, jar and all. A strong sour or acetone smell alone is normal.
Can I use discard straight from the fridge?
Yes — pancakes, crackers and flatbread all take it cold.
Can I turn discard back into a starter?
Yes: feed a spoonful of it like a starter for a few days and it wakes up.
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