What Types of Food Waste Can I Process with Bokashi Composting?

🌱 What types of food waste can be processed in bokashi composting? 🌱

The beauty of bokashi composting, and one of my main reasons for advocating this type of composting, is the full range of food waste that can be added to the bokashi bin.

Here’s a list of what food scraps you can add to your bokashi bin:

✅ COOKED FOOD

Absolutely! You can include COOKED FOOD, even meat and bones!

✅ FRUITS and VEGETABLES

Free free to add as much citrus as you like!

✅ DAIRY

Dairy products like cheese and yogurt are welcome, just skip the liquids!

✅ BREADS

✅ GRAINS

✅ PASTAS

✅ COFFEE

✅ EGGSHELLS

✅ DESSERTS

Bokashi composting stands out from other composting methods like worm composting, trench composting, or backyard compost piles because it’s much more forgiving. The bokashi composting method lets you compost a wider variety of food scraps without the concern of attracting pests, thanks to the fermentation process involved.

You can bokashi compost most types of food waste, but there are a few exceptions to keep in mind:

❌ LIQUIDS. ❌

It's best to steer clear of foods that are high in liquid, like milk, smoothies, dressings, sauces, or soups. Excess liquid can hinder the fermentation process in your bokashi bin, potentially leading to failure.

However, you can separate the liquids from the solids and add the solid waste to the bin.

❌ MOLDY FOOD. ❌

Try to avoid adding moldy or spoiled foods to your bokashi bin, especially if you're new to bokashi composting.

If you do decide to include a small amount of moldy food, like a few strawberries with some green mold, be sure to cover the moldy parts thoroughly with extra bokashi bran. Keep an eye on that area when you add more scraps. If you notice the mold spreading, it’s best to remove that part. Ultimately, it’s safer to just leave out any moldy food!

❌ GREASE and OIL. ❌

Avoid putting grease or oils into the bokashi bin. However, you can include foods that have been cooked in grease or oil. For example, if you make french fries in oil, you can add the fries themselves, but be sure to leave out the cooking oil!