Importing Sourdough Starter?

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WMichaud81 on 14 Jan 2012 at 02:16

Hey All,

I've been lurking around here for quite some time and it's an awesome site.  Thanks for all the incredible info.

I have an interesting question:

I live in Japan and have managed to cultivate a sourdough culture in the heart of a city.  I am moving back to the States in about 2 months and would love to keep my Japanese sourdough, for the novelty more than anything else.

Now my question:  Am I going to have trouble bringing my sourdough starter on the plane?  I would probably just store it in my suitcase.  I think to make sure it's strong and ready for the trip, I would refresh the starter before leaving and check on it upon arriving and see if it needs another refreshing.

What do you all think?  Thanks again and happy baking!!

Edit:  Also, would I get any trouble from customs on an imported product?  Or is it one of those "best not to mention it" things?

 

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gmagmabaking2 on 14 Jan 2012 at 07:23

I would paint it onto parchment paper.... dry it out and then fold it up and wrap it tight and put it in a ziplock bag... and then rehydrate it when I get moved.

 

For moving from the West Coast of America to the UK I put 1/2 cup of just fed starter in a lightly greased plastic bag, squeezed out the air and tied the bag at the top so it would have plenty of room to expand. I put this into a 2nd plastic bag, just in case and put the whole thing in my checked in luggage. It was ready to use on arrival. I didn't declare it!  Patsy