April 25, 2020 - 7:40am
Mailing loose yeast
I want to send some yeast to my sister on the other side of the country, but the yeast I have is loose, not in a sealed packet. I buy SAF instant yeast in a one-pound bag and store it in the freezer after opening.
Whenever I take something out of the freezer, condensation forms on it. I wonder if the condensation would activate the yeast before it even makes it out of my home.
Any ideas on how I can mail the yeast without it breaking dormancy? I was thinking of using a ziplock vacuum bag and packets of desiccant from things I've mail-ordered.
How much instant yeast is a substitute for a packet of active dry?
Janet
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Is the 1 lb bag of SAF instant you keep in the freezer well-sealed? If so, take it out of the freezer until it has completely come to room temperature. This way, any condensation that forms will evaporate away. It won't get inside to the yeast since the bag is well sealed.
If the bag isn't well sealed, chill a clean dry Ziploc bag in your freezer. Also, brush off any frost that has formed on the bag of SAF. Then, still inside the freezer (reach in with your arms), transfer the bag of SAF into the ziploc bag and seal it up. Doing this inside the freezer stops condensation from forming, so that you don't trap any moisture inside. Now, proceed as above - take out of the freezer and let come to room temperature.
For mailing, a Ziploc vacuum bag should be fine. You probably don't even need the desiccant, but it won't hurt. A vacuum sealer would be even better, if you have one, but for the short time it will be in the mail, it doesn't really matter, like the desiccant. Have your sister store the yeast in the freezer like you do to prolong its life.
Be aware that not all desiccant packets are considered food grade, but I believe most people would consider silica gel packets not to be harmful even if they're not labeled as food grade, as long as they're not the blue/pink color changing type. See here for more info. Also note that, especially if you live in a humid environment, any desiccant packet exposed to air for more than an hour or so will need to be refreshed.
The standard yeast packet is 7g / 0.25 oz. I've seen a few different subsitution ratios for SAF instant to active dry, but they're all fairly close to 1:1, so I don't think you can go too far wrong by sticking to that. King Arthur Flour recommends 1:1.