Say goodbye to the hassle of lugging a stinky bucket of kitchen scraps to the compost pile every day!

No need to stress about carbon-nitrogen ratios and balancing the browns and greens anymore!

Forget about the “rules” of traditional composting that restrict you from adding meats, dairy, or bones!

If any of these sound good then Bokashi composting is just what you need. This simple and effective, low odor composting method makes it easy for anyone to compost. And the best part is, you can compost nearly all food waste generated!! No more sorting out the meat and dairy from the veggie scraps.

Getting Started With Bokashi Composting

You will need a few supplies to get up and running:

• Bokashi – This is the bran inoculated with microbes that will break down all your food waste. You can either purchase this from our store here or you can make your own by following our guide here. You will layer this in-between your food scraps using the “lasagna” method.
• Buckets – You will need at least two 5 gallon buckets. One will be filled and then sealed. While the filled bucket is fermenting for 2-4 weeks, you can start filling up the second bucket with food scraps. For an average family of 4, 2 buckets is enough to keep in rotation. If you find you are filling your bucket too quickly you can always add additional buckets into the cycle. Most people use specialized bokashi buckets that allow them to drain off any excess liquid in the system during fermentation.
• Plate – I just use any old plate from the kitchen. This will go inside the lid, on top of the contents of your bucket while you are filling it up so that no air can get to your food scraps.

Step One – Pickling Your Kitchen Scraps

First start by putting a thin layer of bokashi in the bottom of the bucket. Around 1/3 – 1/2 cup. This will act as the base for you to start the lasagna method. If you don’t have drainage holes on your bucket, then you can just add 3″-4″ of shredded newspaper or cardboard to the bottom to soak up all the liquid that will be produced.

Next add in up to 4″ of kitchen scraps, then add another layer of bokashi bran. It is best if your kitches scraps are chopped up into pieces 1″ x 1″ or smaller. Continue this “lasagna” method until all your food scraps are in the bucket. Top everything off with a layer of bokashi bran.

Now, put a plate on top of your bran, then close the airtight lid on the bucket. The plate is like a mini “cap” for your bokashi that helps keep the air in the container away from it.

Continue to fill your bucket using the lasagna method and draining off any excess liquid that forms. You can use this liquid in your garden by diluting it 1:500 and watering it into your soil.

Once your bucket is all the way full, allow your scraps to sit sealed and undisturbed for 2 weeks. You can go up to 4 weeks, but it’s ideal not to wait much longer or else your microbes will go dormant. Continue to remove any excess moisture formed during this process. If you have a septic system, you can pour the liquid down the drain and it can improve the microbes in your septic system.

Step Two – Digging a Pit and Burying the Fermented Material

When you first uncover your bokashi compost you might notice a few things…
First, it is the same size as it was when you first put it in there. This is because, unlike traditional composting, bokashi composting “pickles” or ferments your food waste. This sequesters carbon and also reduces the amount of methane and other greenhouse gasses produces in the composting process.
The second thing you might notice is a layer of white mold over your food scraps. This is completely normal. This is the microbes and beneficial fungi colonizing your food waste. Once you bury your bokashi, it will break down in a matter of weeks.

Next you will either need to add your bokashi to your compost pile, or you will need to dig a trench in your garden and bury your bokashi. Since bokashi is very acidic, is it important that you give it a few weeks before allowing plants to come in contact with it.

A common method is to save up your winter bokashi scraps and then in the spring, after you amend your soil, dig a trench all the way down your row, about 10″-12″down. Next pour the bokashi bucket into the trench and mix it with a couple shovel fulls of soil. Then fill the trench with at least 6″ – 8″ of soil. Leave it to sit for around 2 weeks. And then plant your new plants into fresh, microbe rich compost!

The Do’s and Don’ts of Bokashi Composting

I guess there are a few rules to bokashi composting. They are quite simple though. 

1. DO use enough Bokashi bran to ferment your kitchen scraps. You can never use too much, but you can most certainly add too little. Your nose will tell you if you have used enough or if you need to add a little bit more. If you open it and smell a sweet vinegar smell, then you’re good to go. Open it to stinky odors, well time to toss in a few extra handfuls of bran.
2. DON’T add a ton of oils and fats to your system. Bokashi can handle the standard amount of oils and grease in your food scraps (cheese, dressings, etc.). However, I’d pass on dumping the vat of used fryer grease into your system unless you want a stinky science experament on your hands.
3. DON’T add any nasty food to your system. A little white mold here and there will be just fine, but if you have some kitchen experiments hiding in the back of the fridge with green, blue, or black mold then skip the bokashi bucket and toss those bad boys right in the trash. Your bokashi is made up of microbes, and introducing too many bad ones can outcompete and ruin your whole batch.