Just checked the date on my instant yeast - Aug. 2008!!

[Blues Heron]

Still going strong after more than two years! SAF red 16 oz. brick. I keep a go-to jar in the fridge, and a mother jar, also in the fridge. never froze it, left the go-to jar out a few times overnight, but still cranking out the CO2 and the yeasty goodness after all this time. I am definitely impressed. There's still a bunch left too - I'm going to see how long this stuff goes!! :)

[Phentex]

1. My neighbor has a sour dough starter that's 20+ years strong...

I'm lazy.

Today I am making plain ole Italian bread with instant yeast.

Have fun with yours!

:hi:

[Blues Heron]

2. Thanks!

Mine is dry instant yeast - I did have a sourdough starter at one point but it bit the dust! The mother jar is just where I keep most of the yeast, which I only open to refill the go-to jar.

plain ole Italian sounds good to me! :)

[Warpy]

3. My bag of Red Star from the health food store got me through last year

and the date on the label was 2004. Apparently it's harder to kill than Fleischmann's told us it was.

[Blues Heron]

4. The proof is in the pudding... err, dough

In two years I've probably used only 2/3 of the bag - so I should have another year's worth if it keeps its strength