Chr Hansen Products in Canada

[Shuswap]

I've been looking for a Canadian supplier of the Chr Hansen starting cultures and contacted BSA in Ontario to see if they sold to hobbyists. Their reply was that it is too dangerous to send the product across country even packed in dry ice. Meanwhile, UMAi is sending me a couple of kits from the states that include a starting culture, which are now sitting in customs for who knows how long. How will I know if the starter is useable or not

[el Ducko]

How will I know if the starter is useable or not

We recently used a can of Thai green curry that I later found out had a "use by" date of early 2011. Yikes! We went through the pantry and disposed of all the outdated stuff. We only found one bulging can, vintage 2008.

I would guess that, for a bacterial culture, activity would decline but that's probably the worst of it. (If the packet is trying to become spherical in shape, though, that's probably a bad sign.) How much decline...? Probably not too bad for a couple of months, but why chance it any longer than that?

Your point is a good one, though.

[redzed]

I've been looking for a Canadian supplier of the Chr Hansen starting cultures and contacted BSA in Ontario to see if they sold to hobbyists. Their reply was that it is too dangerous to send the product across country even packed in dry ice. Meanwhile, UMAi is sending me a couple of kits from the states that include a starting culture, which are now sitting in customs for who knows how long. How will I know if the starter is useable or not

What exactly will you be making? Why not use Mondostart 2M from Stuffer's? It's a good culture blend with Lactobacillus sakei, Staphylococcus carnosus, and Staphylococcus xylosus. You can ferment with it in higher and lower temps, so it's quite versatile. And best of all, it's half the price of Hansen.

http://www.stuffers.com/product-p/mimmstcu562004.htm

[Shuswap]

Why not use Mondostart 2M from Stuffer's?

Red, thanks for that. I use Stuffers for supplies but I got on the track of Hansen starters and availability because that is what UMAi includes in its kits. Mine have been stuck in Customs for 8 days and that got me pondering shelf life when unfrozen, etc. etc. and one thought leads to another.

[redzed]

The hansen cultures still might be OK. But they are not the only ones you can use. I can't understand why people think that Hansen is the only game in town. In fact, none of the large distributors, in this country, i.e. Canada Compound, stock them.

[Shuswap]

So what we could use from one of our forum experts is a comparative list of starter cultures by different producers - an excellent challenge for someone like Duk, eh