Bejay, both my husband and I so enjoy the crunch of my sauerkraut, that I have no desire to can it, and lose the texture as I am sure I would. I can't imagine that spoilage will be a problem, since my last batch is still very crisp and tasty and I've discovered several friends that like sauerkraut...my last batch I used 10 pounds of cabbage...made much more sauerkraut than I and my husband will eat before Fall, and certainly takes up more room in my fridge than I'm willing to deal with. Cabbage is cheap, now that I know how, I can always make more! :D Now, as someone who has misty memories of my Nana buying corned beef at the local market, which had a barrel in a dark, cool corner...grey and not particularly tasty looking, but my, once it was cooked (YUM!)...learning to corn my own beef is high on my list!

SAF-Instant Yeast is a "superyeast". It's a product of genetic engineering. It's air dried instead of oven dried, and looks like tiny worms, compared to the much larger granuals of active dry yeast because of this process. It's a stronger type of yeast, fast-acting, and can be added directly to the dry ingredients rather than being proofed in liquid. The first generation instant yeast was produced to mix directly with dry ingredients for quicker mixing (no proofing necessary). Because the home-users were accustomed to proofing their active dry yeast (which is what I think you are calling "regular yeast"), instant yeast was a failure in home use. They proofed it anyway, which reduced the strength of the yeast, and it didn't perform as well if proofed. The second generation of this product COULD be proofed, OR added directly to the dry ingredients, and is basically what instant yeast is today. Instant yeast was used for many years in Europe before it was introduced in the United States and was first used in commercial application - by being able to add the dry yeast directly to the dry ingredients they were able to save time/money by eliminating yeast that required proofing. If you substitute SAF-Instant yeast for active dry yeast, you need to use 25% less. The "cousin" to the genetically modified "superyeast" Instant Yeast is fast (or quick)-rising yeast. These were reformulated from active dry yeast to preform in "instant" applications. For instance, one brand was simply made into smaller particles to dissolve rapidly and work faster than active dry yeast, rather than a genetic modification. In the 1980's the Automated Bread Machine was developed for home use. Yeast companies begen to develop fast-acting yeast (Quick-Rise, Rapid-Rise and Bread Machine Yeast) for use in Bread Machines. These types were essential for the fast rise needed for the 1-hour cycle. As the name implies, fast-acting yeast shortens the rising time for dough. It is also reduced by 25% if you are substituting it in a recipe calling for active dry yeast. When fast-acting yeast were originally introduced to the home baker, they were developed to make bread faster. You could eliminate proofing in water (add directly to the flour mixture - which saves 10 minutes) and eliminate one rise. After kneading, you cover the dough and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Form dough, pan, and rise as usual for the final proofing. For both Instant and Fast-Rising Yeast types (which are generally used in the same applications), they are commonly added directly to a portion of dry ingredients. The liquid added to this mixture needs to be 125-130°F to produce a quick rising dough. The warmer temperature is needed because when adding the warm water to a large bulk of ingredients, it quickly cools. Active dry yeast (incorrectly called "regular" yeast) was developed during WWII to replace Cake Yeast. Fleishmann's, the first brand of active dry yeast was developed in 1943. Cake yeast has 70% moisture content, requires refrigeration, has a short life of about 3-weeks, and was difficult to use during the war. Active Dry Yeast is 8% moisture. The development of active dry yeast made it easier to transport (no refrigeration needed) and use. It also had a longer shelf-life. There is one more type of dry yeast - Osmotolerant Instant Active Dry Yeast. This type of yeast is recommended for dough characterized as sweet, salty or low absorption. It's beneficial in certain types of recipes because osmotic tolerance is called for because the amount of available water in these doughs is limited. Fermipan markets osmotolerant instant active dry yeast as Fermipan Brown, and SAF markets osmotolerant instant active dry yeast as SAF Gold. -Grainlady

I only slash free-form (Artisan- and Farm-style) loaves, and only rarely do I slash panned loaves - it depends on the characteristics of the dough and style of the loaf. You normally don't slash braided loaves, ciabattas, fendu-shaped (split) loaves, and most panned loaves. You want to slash loaves to allow the dough to expand rather than blow out the side of the loaf (aka shredding). By scoring the crust before it goes into the oven, you intentionally create a weak section on the surface of the loaf. Some flatbreads require you to slash all the way through the dough, while 1/4-inch is common for loaves. Deep scoring makes the bread tend to flatten out rather than rise upward unless it's got a lot of strength from gluten-development. Use a very sharp (serrated) knife or a lame (see link below), or even a sharp razor. How to: Hold the blade at a 20- to 30-degree angle, make the slashes with a short, quick motion of the wrist, no deeper than 1/4-inch. No sawing motion or you'll chance deflating the dough. Slashing also controls the direction and the extent of the ovenspring (the amount the dough continues to rise when placed in the oven). The last thing before you place the dough into the oven is when you slash it. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: King Arthur Flour - Lame Bread Slashing Tool

I buy the double package too like Ruthie G and I just keep mine in the refrigerator, in a canister that the light can't get to very well. I looked at my last package I am using and it expired October of last year. Still going strong. I have a big batch (9 cups flour) of refrigerator rolls in the refrigerator that I made this week. I will probably use some of it tomorrow. I am not sure how you can test a small package and use it in your bread machine, if you put your liquids in first and the yeast on top. I have never put the water and yeast together in a bread machine and made bread that way. Has anyone else ever done that? Sue