Sav's Sourdough Starters

Rising Rate Experiment & Graphs Since my starters have not been very reliable or rising regularly, I decided to find a partner to work with to complete the rising rate experiment. I worked with Hannah Prescott on this experiment. She had three starters; a control starter, an apple variable starter, and a strawberry variable starter. She observed these three starters over a period of 2040 minutes. If you would like to see photos of these starters and how the experiment was performed, you can view her blog post about the experiment  here .  Since Hannah actually performed the experiment, I used the data she collected to create the following graphs.  In this first graph, you will see the changes in the absolute starter heights over time. This graph shows exactly how much each starter rose in centimeters throughout this given period of time. Creating and looking at this graph, we were able to visualize and determine that the strawberry variable was more reactive and was rising at a hig

 Update on Sourdough Starters On February 8th, 2021, I began a new set of sourdough starters. I made one control starter with just flour and water, and then I made an experimental starter containing flour, water, and an apple slice. Although I used a fresh apple slice instead of applesauce, I wanted to use the same fruit so that my research on cultures would apply to both sets of starters. I have continued to feed my original starters as well. The images below are from the first day I created my new starters.  The image on the left shows the smooth surface of the new control starter just after I mixed the flour and water around 9:00 am. on February 8th. The image on the right is from the same date and time but shows the experimental starter. You can see the chunks of apple in this image. Over the course of a few days, I was able to continue mashing those up better until the experimental starter also exhibited a fairly smooth surface.  OBSERVATIONS On February 10th , the morning of my n

What is DNA Sequencing?  DNA sequencing can be used to determine the order of bases within a DNA molecule. There are four DNA bases which include adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. To understand DNA sequencing, you should know that these bases are the building blocks of DNA molecules and be aware of base pairing. Adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T) and cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G). If these concepts are new to you, certain phrases such as " A pples in the T ree, C ar in the G arage" may help you memorize which bases pair with each other.  DNA sequencing is extremely important in detecting and treating certain diseases and disorders. This is especially true for cancer patients. DNA sequencing may help their doctor determine the type of cancer they have so that the patient will be able to receive more appropriate treatment. Screening newborns for genetic disorders and other issues has become another important use of DNA sequencing.  I took genetics (GN 311) last sem

Experimental Starter: Applesauce While trying to get my sourdough starters to grow, I have wondered if the fruit used in my experimental starter had anything to do with its slow, basically nonexistent, progress. Many of you have probably eaten Mott's applesauce at some point in your life. After doing a bit of research, I found that Granny Smith apples are used in the applesauce I mixed into my experimental starter. I found a really interesting article on the genetic makeup and origins of domesticated apples. I will be using information from that article in this post and providing the link if you would like to check out some of the data yourself! If you would like to learn more about the history and genetics of domesticated apples, more specifically, Granny Smith apples, I suggest you read this post :)  So many apples, so many locations, so many uses!  There are various types of wild apples that have originated in different areas around the world. The apples that we eat today are ca

All they kneaded was love... After trying so hard and giving it my all, my sourdough starters still have not grown. I have observed very few changes and very little progress in my sourdough starters this week. For the most part, I have been following the given procedures very closely using all the suggested measurements and materials. Perhaps I have done everything correctly and all they kneaded was love.  OBSERVATIONS Although there were not many significant changes throughout the week to give updates on, I will be sharing data and observations relevant to any of the changes in the appearances, consistencies, and aromas of my sourdoughs, and I will also indicate any slight changes in times and procedure. My sourdough starters have remained in the same location throughout the entire week.  January 28th, 8:00 am.  Since I began my sourdough starters on January 27th,  my first feeding and recording of data and observations occurred on January 28th at approximately 8:00 am. The appearance