My husband is not a verified celiac, but he doesn't need a test to show that he must not have a single trace of gluten in his diet. He gets flu-like symptoms from the smallest trace. Here's just a small list of items that have made him sick in the past:
Cross-contaminated oats (processed in the same equipment which once held wheat or another gluten-bearing grain) .:. enchilada sauce from the store, which is thickened with wheat flour .:. tuna fish from the store, stored in broth that somehow has unlabeled gluten in it .:. anything that has the words "spices" or "modified corn starch" on the label .:. and the list goes on...!
As I have learned to make foods with no trace of gluten in them over the past ten years, one of the things I have finally become ready to take on is sourdough. We miss bread so badly, and this was one area I hoped to finally take on. I learned that I had to be careful with yeasts because they can be contaminated with gluten sometimes. So when I learned about Kahm yeast I was very excited.
So... back to the blog... What is Kahm Yeast?
Kahm yeast is a light white substance that forms like a spotty film on the surface of your fermenting vegetables (if you have no idea what ferments are, think sauerkraut or pickles, but done with salt instead of vinegar in order to grow healthy bacteria for your gut).
Sometimes people think that kahm yeast is a sign of mold, or just a distasteful growth, so they pitch the whole kit-n-caboodle. And who can blame them? Especially if this is all new. Tasting a fermented veggie is sometimes a stretch for me, much less dealing with a strange growth to boot... well, you have my heart, people.
This is yeast! Your first tool to use is your nose: when you take a small sniff, there needs to be a yeasty, bread-dough-like smell. Secondary tool is sight: if you see black or colorful, fuzzy mold, get rid of it of course! However, white yeast bubbles (small or larger) are usually an indication of fermenting and can also be found on/under a SCOBY when making Kombucha. That means what you have here is friend instead of foe!
When you find Kahm yeast on your ferment, all you need to do is skim it off and you can use it for a baking yeast substitute. You can even put it in the fridge or dry it out for later use.
As soon as I have the yeast pulled to a new jar, I usually stick a lid on the ferment and put it in the refrigerator (to use in smoothies or for probiotic snacking).
As you can see below, I have pulled about a Tablespoon or more of kahm yeast from the top of my ferment. I put this in a tall, sterilized mason jar and added:
.:. 1/2c GF flour mix
.:. 1/2c distilled/filtered water
Nonchlorinated water is essential to the success of a sourdough starter, as it will kill the yeast otherwise! We use a Berkey for filtered water.
Now to wait for fermentation of my Sourdough Starter! I leave this sourdough starter out on the counter and add to it every 12 hours or so: 1/2 c GF flour, 1/2 c. filtered water.
After a few days, this baby is ready to go and can be stored in the fridge if needed.
Questions? Comments? Let me know your thoughts or if there is a tool we can connect you with. Blessings my friends. Shout out to my friend Julia who helped teach me about ferments and answered many questions! It takes a village to live healthily!