| I know I am very lucky. We have loads of outside | | | | continue this process rapidly. |
| space so can set up huge compost heaps without it | | | | Once the kitchen composter has sat, sealed and full |
| affecting how much space we have to garden or | | | | for a fortnight its time to empty the contents. Simply |
| entertain. But lots of folks have smaller outside spaces | | | | dig them into your garden soil (or indeed garden pots). |
| to work with. And, much as they may like to be a | | | | Don't worry you won't need to dig huge holes every |
| garden composter, they struggle to find the room. I | | | | fortnight. Simply sprinkle the contents of the bokashi bin |
| know actually using the garden is likely to take priority | | | | in a thin layer and cover with soil. After a month the |
| over recycling garden waste. So what do you do? | | | | area is ready for planting. The fermented kitchen |
| You don't have to decide between composting waste | | | | waste will be broken down and the soil much enriched. |
| and having room for the kids to play! | | | | What is the Tap For? |
| There are several options. Firstly go for a small | | | | As your kitchen waste ferments it is likely to produce |
| purpose build garden composter like the beehive | | | | liquid (think making sauerkraut, lots of cabbage |
| compost bins I'm such a fan of (purely for aesthetic | | | | becomes not so much cabbage and lots of cabbage |
| reasons I admit). But, if even that size compost bin is | | | | juice). And, if you're adding tea bags and coffee |
| not practical have you thought about inside compost | | | | grounds, or other wet food items to the bin, you'll end |
| solutions? | | | | up with even more bokashi juice. |
| There are lots of worm-composting systems which it | | | | The tap, is so you can drain off the bakashi juice and |
| is reported can be used indoors. Now I have a bit of a | | | | either use it as a liquid plant feed, or tip it down the |
| thing about worms. And, as much as I see them as | | | | drain where its acidity will help it clean the pipes. If you |
| beneficial in the garden I have no desire to get up | | | | have a septic system, the bokashi juice is said to be |
| close and personal with a bucket load of the critters in | | | | even more beneficial because you're sending all the |
| my kitchen. Maybe you are less squeamish than I, in | | | | good bacteria that like to break up waste, into your |
| which case vermiculture, or worm composting is a | | | | septic tank. |
| serious possibility. | | | | What Kitchen Waste to Put in the Kitchen |
| If however, you don't want to invite any more life | | | | Composter? |
| forms into your kitchen perhaps you should take a look | | | | This is the most exciting bit. Lots of garden |
| into the kitchen composter. I was amazed by these | | | | composters advocate only putting certain types of |
| products. Having never been in the market for a | | | | kitchen waste on a standard garden compost pile. The |
| kitchen composter I didn't really know a lot about them. | | | | thinking is that if you put certain items (such as cooked |
| But, more recently as my love of compost generally, | | | | food or meat) on the compost heap you will attract |
| and a desire to find out more widely about the subject | | | | vermin. Now, this isn't the post to argue this particular |
| has led me to research composting solutions more | | | | point. Though I do feel very strongly that all organic |
| widely, I have to say I'm completely converted. | | | | kitchen waste should go on the compost heap and |
| The kitchen composter doesn't have to sit indoors but | | | | that the heap should just be made vermin proof. |
| its so small that is where it is ideally suited to be. The | | | | Otherwise I feel we're wasting the opportunity and |
| only issue I have with the whole process is that it really | | | | goodness of recycling all our kitchen waste. |
| isn't a kitchen composter at all. It is in fact a kitchen | | | | I digress (I feel an altogether different blog post |
| waste fermentation system, which I think sounds much | | | | coming!). The point is, because the bokashi kitchen |
| more exciting and techie! I know most people would be | | | | composter is a sealed unit, and that you introduce all |
| horrified about having kitchen waste fermenting indoors | | | | the good micro-organisms in to make sure the waste |
| for weeks on end but every review of these has | | | | is broken down quickly, you can put any organic waste |
| confirmed you don't get any odours from the kitchen | | | | in. |
| composters. But then they are sealed to keep out air | | | | That's great news. If you are using a Kitchen |
| and ensure anaerobic fermentation. | | | | Composting System like Bokashi, you can put raw, |
| What is a Bokashi Kitchen Composter? | | | | cooked and processed foods of any kind in. Dairy, fish, |
| A Bokashi Kitchen Composter is a bucket with a really | | | | meat, coffee grounds, tea bags, paper and tissues all |
| well fitting lid. At the bottom of the bucket is a drainage | | | | go into your kitchen composter bucket. That makes a |
| tap so you can drain off any excess moisture which is | | | | real difference to the amount of waste you'll send to |
| created during fermentation. | | | | landfill. |
| Commercial products are pretty cheap but you could | | | | Where to Bury the Bokashi Bucket Compost? |
| make yourself one by looking out for cheap, quality | | | | This is the biggest issue with bokashi new users. No |
| buckets with lids and adding one of those cheap | | | | one really wants to be digging holes every fortnight. If |
| plastic water barrel taps. | | | | you have a well stocked vegetable garden or flower |
| Bokashi is Japanese for 'fermented organic matter'. | | | | borders one method is to simply uncover shallow |
| That's what you end up with in your kitchen | | | | trenches between your plants and tip the contents of |
| composter bucket. | | | | the bokashi bucket there and top with soil. The plants |
| Using a Bokashi Kitchen Composter | | | | will all send their roots towards all this new goodness. |
| Using the Bokashi composter system is really | | | | The second, lazier option is to hide a bottomless |
| straightforward. The whole idea of this kitchen | | | | bucket in the garden. Simply empty the bokashi bucket |
| composting system is that, you introduce helpful | | | | into the bottomless bucket and sprinkle over some soil. |
| microbes, yeasts and so on to the kitchen waste. The | | | | One month later remove the bottomless bucket to |
| simplest method is to buy Bokashi starter which will be | | | | uncover a bucket shaped pile of broken down humus. |
| sawdust, wheat or rice hulls innoculated with all the | | | | This sounds like a real winner to me! |
| good yeasts and bacteria you want to work on your | | | | Would I Become a Bokashi Kitchen Composter? |
| kitchen waste. | | | | Definitely, if I had less space and if I didn't already put |
| First you put a layer of the bokashi starter in the | | | | ALL my kitchen waste (even the fish, meat, bones and |
| kitchen composter bucket. Now add a layer of kitchen | | | | dairy) on my outdoors compost bins. If we had |
| waste and sprinkle over some more of the starter. | | | | problems with vermin I would consider the bokashi |
| You continue using the kitchen composter in this way | | | | system, regardless of our space as a way of |
| till full. Ideally you would save all the kitchen scraps | | | | recycling the kitchen waste safely. But in that case I |
| through the day and only put them into the pail once a | | | | would just bung the contents of the bokashi bucket |
| day. That way you don't keep opening the lid too | | | | onto my compost heaps rather than bury them. |
| often, which would expose the fermenting waste to | | | | But would I buy a Bokashi Kitchen Composter? Honest |
| the air. Also it means you layer the food waste and | | | | answer is I'm not sure. They're not all that expensive |
| bokashi starter correctly. | | | | but I think I might get creative with a cheaper plastic |
| Once the kitchen composter is full you seal and leave | | | | bucket instead. Even the bokashi starter can be made |
| it alone for a fortnight. At the end of that time the | | | | yourself, though I'm really not sure that would be worth |
| kitchen waste will be fermented and pickled. It's quite | | | | the hassle. |
| odd because it doesn't look like compost at all. The | | | | But, for those with no garden, or a lack of space for a |
| physical appearance of the waste will be little changed, | | | | vermin-proof compost heap I defintiely think the |
| just a little pickled looking! But the waste is fermenting, | | | | bokashi kitchen composter route is a fabulous option. |
| and breaking down and will be full of the organisms to | | | | |