Keeping ferments is a little bit like keeping a pet or a house plant. You need to remember to look after them, but they give you so much pleasure and help add meaning to your life.

It is a bit of a ritual. Many ferments, such as sourdough cultures, need to be fed at the same time every day because the cycle of development of the desirable organisms is roughly 24 hours at room temperature (21 degrees C). I feed mine between my first and second cups of tea in the morning. This is also a good time to set a batch of bread to rise, or begin to make cheese, so it make sense for me. Remember to smell the cultures and look at them to make sure they are healthy and active. Enjoy their wonderful life force.

My cultures began with gifts from friends, and I have passed them on to many people myself. If you need to start from scratch, or if you need to revive a tired culture, this is all possible. It is even possible to hibernate your sourdough in the fridge for a week or two when you are on holidays, and then bring it back to life. That’s if you don’t take it along with you… I do!