Bokashi

Bokashi composting is easy, less messy, less time consuming and relatively pleasant smelling. It is a quick fermentation process which originated in Japan.

Kitchen waste should be chopped before adding to the bin. Each layer is sprinkled with Bokashi bran. The bran contains lactobacillus a probiotic starter culture which ferments the waste. You can add a much wider variety of food waste to the bokashi bin including food waste from meat. We put the cat food leftovers in.

We have two stacked bins, one which is full and waiting to go down to the allotment and the current bin we are using. Bokashi can ferment in two weeks.

The fermented pre-compost is then mixed into a traditional compost heap or it can be buried straight into the ground.

We now put into our compost bins as we had problems with animals digging up the ground. Although the bokashi compost should break down into the soil in 4 - 6 weeks.

You can put anything compostable in the bokashi bran to save it going to landfill like paper towels, flowers, plant cuttings but these are better in a traditional heap as they can take up a lot of space.

Waste that cannot go in the bokashi:

Food that is already rotten or has gone mouldy

Large bones

Shellfish shells

Liquids (drain wet scraps like leftover scraps from stock making first)