Sourdough | Imamother

amother

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 3:19 pm

I starting making sourdough last summer…. What happens with my starter on Pesach, do I have to throw it away or can I sell it?
Sourdough is like the literal translation of chametz, I feel like this is the main thing to get rid of but I can’t imagine having to restart a starter after Pesach .

amother

Ivory

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 4:09 pm

amother OP wrote:

I use it up and start a new one after pessach, exactly for this reason: sourdough literally IS chametz.

Maybe there are other people who are more permissive.

If you want to sell over pessach, I would recommend making a dry powder rather than something that has to be kept in fridge.

To make powder you just have to spread sourdough starter on a surface, let it dry, and reduce it to powder. That is a starter that will stay inert at room temperature, and you can start it again with flour and water after pessach.

minnie mouse

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 5:20 pm

I throw out my starter and begin from scratch again. I know some that gives it to a bakery to sell. Commercial businessess have diff leniency regarding selling actual chometz. Another friend "sells" it to her cleaning lady, which takes it to her house, and she buys it back after pesach. Ask a shaila

zaq

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 5:30 pm

Sourdough starter is the most chometzdik form of chometz. It is literally "seor machmetzet", even more chometzdik than bread as it were, because unlike baked bread, which cannot make anything else ferment, sourdough starter is produced for the express purpose of making grain ferment.

patzer

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 6:27 pm

I've heard that there can be a problem with selling sourdough over Pesach. In order for a sale of chometz to be considered legitimate, there has to be some willingness on your part to actually sell the goods. In other words, would you be willing to part with it permanently for the right price? Since people tend to get emotionally attached to their starters and would not be willing to actually make a sale, their "sale" becomes meaningless.

BadTichelDay

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 6:36 pm

I throw my sourdough starter out every year before Pesach and start a new one afterwards. As others posted above, sourdough starter is pretty much the most chametzdik thing in the world. I'd feel guilty if I sold something like that.
Making a new one takes about 2 weeks, good enough for me, and is even mildly interesting, as each one develops and turns out differently.

amother

Mimosa

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 6:39 pm

I wonder what biblical jews did with their starters over pesach. Did they not eat bread for 2 weeks after while they were all making new starters?

Raizle

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 6:53 pm

patzer wrote:

Sourdough Baker here
How many people realistically get emotionally attached to it?

amother

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 9:10 pm

Thanks for all the responses. I will ask my LOR for a psak, was just wondering what people do.
Drying up the starter is an interesting idea, but this starter originally comes from a dried powder starter. I wonder if it would work to dry it up again.

amother

Viola

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 10:37 pm

Raizle wrote:

Sourdough Baker here
How many people realistically get emotionally attached to it?

I actually feel emotionally connected to mine. Like a good friend

amother

Milk

Wed, Mar 13 2024, 10:42 pm

patzer wrote:

I just asked my rav today and was told the same thing, I also sell real chametz so that's not an issue for me.

amother

Mimosa

Mon, Apr 22 2024, 8:30 am

My rav said I can give it to my cleaning lady as a gift to keep over pesach. Anyone else doing this? How would I even explain it to her?