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Sterilize the jar in boiling water.
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2
(Alternately, moisten it and microwave it for 4 minutes at 600w.
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3
Sterilize the lid in boiling water or spray with alcohol.)
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4
Rinse the grapes.
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5
If they are organic, just wipe off any dirt; they will ferment better if you leave then unwashed.
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6
Put the lightly crushed grapes and water in the jar with the sugar, close the lid, and shake the jar well to mix.
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7
Leave in a 20 to 25C environment.
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8
In the spring and summer leave it at room temperature, and in the summer and winter put it in a polystyrene box with ice packs or bottles willed with hot water to maintain the temperature.
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9
Wait until the grapes float to the top and the liquid is foamy as shown here.
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Make sure to shake the jar and open the lid at least once a day (I put in some raisin starter to give it a boost, so the starter was done in 3 days.
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11
It usually takes 5 to 6 days.)
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Once the grapes are all floating on the surface and the liquid is fizzing, leave it as is for about 24 hours, and the starter is done.
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(This is how it looks from the top) Strain out the grapes using a sieve that has been sterilized with boiling water, and keep the starter in the refrigerator (about 2 weeks).
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14
This is a grape starter made with Niagara grapes.
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15
The ingredient amounts are the same as with the Kyoho grape starter.
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Grape starter works pretty well to raise bread.
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Use the starter using the 'straight' method (which takes time) or the sponge method (the fragrance is reduced), whichever you prefer to make bread.
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The photo shows the sponge method; it's doubled in volume.
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For instructions on how to make a starter sponge, please refer to my raspberry starter recipe.
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If the starter is really active, it will triple in volume!
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21
I made this bread using the sponge method, and used 250 g of flour, 12 g of sugar, 4 g of salt, 125 g of sponge and about 125 g of water.
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7 hours for the 1st rising, 1 1/2 hours for the 2nd rising.
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I started baking the bread when the tops of the loaf reached to about 8-90% of the height of the pan.
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24
Please refer to the raspberry starter recipe for the baking method.
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25
The front and back look so different...I have to practing my bread forming technique.
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It's a really active starter!
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27
The starter sponge did have a slight grape fragrance, but when it was baked into bread it disappeared, and became a delicious and neutrally flavored loaf.
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28
For this bread I used a muscat grape starter.
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29
It's Ripi-mama's rye bread recipe.
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30
The starter is made the same way as the Kyoho grape starter, just with different grapes.
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31
I used 50% starter sponge, and Yukichikara as the bread flour.
