Ask Allie!
Ask Allie is our advice column, where you can ask all your food-related questions to get digestible answers! No question is off limits!
To have your question answered in Ask Allie posts, please use the form on our website. If you prefer to be anonymous, just say so in the form and we’ll leave your name out when we answer it in the blog! Note that some submissions may be edited for clarity.
For troubleshooting active issues with a culture you’re working with, please check the FAQs or write us at support@positivelyprobiotic.com - you’ll get your answer faster that way! Please also take advantage of our Facebook group for troubleshooting, conversation, and getting to know more members of our community!
Hello - I just placed an order for three different starters (French Parisian, Italian Camaldoli, and San Francisco "Fisherman's Wharf"). Am I supposed to feed each one a specific type of flour, or do I feed them all the same type?
— Chloe
All of those starters typically use all-purpose, but you can use any flour you want.
Hello, I'm not finding much info about the flavor profiles of each of your sourdough starters. Which sourdough would be the most tangy? Thank you.
— Melissa
These are our most tangy. Note that you do not have to use the flours they ask for, though your starter is likely to reduce in tartness over time. Also, if you don’t find any of the options in that link interesting, check out our What’s Your Flavor feature, which offers a list of each category of ferment broken down by how tart it is or isn’t.
I received my starters yesterday, thanks for such quick service! I am trying to activate the Swedish Sweet Cream. I followed the directions for activation but the starter is so thick it just won't dissolve into the cream. When I try to stir it just sticks to the spoon in a glob and won't dissolve. Am I doing something wrong, or will it fix itself with time?
— Jo Ann
The sour creams and vegan coconut are all like that, where they really do not properly dry. Just stir the best you can (or glob, which is what I do), and it’ll be okay. Usually I find flakes of fully dried starters 2-4 batches in anyway, so it really will be okay even if it doesn’t fully dissolve.
