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Bokashi: Would Bokashi Suit You?
Most composting is sped up by the presence of air but Bokashi, which is a Japanese term for fermented organic matter, ferments or pickles your waste. Fermentation is an anaerobic process so it important to exclude as much air from the waste as possible. The fermentation process is started by a ‘Bokashi bran’ which is added to the bin with each addition of food waste. The bran is made of wheat bran (or rice bran), molasses and ‘effective micro-organisms’ or EM. What the micro-organisms are exactly is a secret, patented by Japanese Dr Teruo Higa. Fermentation works by benign microbes, naturally found on food, flourishing in the absence of air and suppressing the growth of microbes that would cause spoilage. By consuming the food’s easily metabolized sugars they produce anti-microbial substances such as lactic acid, other acids, carbon dioxide and alcohol but they manage to leave the plant otherwise intact, including its vitamin C. They even add significant B vitamins. Different species of bacteria are favoured by particular conditions such as temperature and acidity. There isn’t much to setting the system up except for fitting the tap, which is important to do correctly but it isn’t difficult. The key is not to over tighten the internal nut as this could lead to leaking, and to test it by filling with water before starting to fill your bin with waste. The tap is used to siphon off liquid as it accumulates, more on that subject later. A grate is then fitted into the bottom to keep the fermenting waste out of the liquid and the first kitchen waste can be spread evenly over it, followed by a sprinkling of the bran. The mass is firmly compacted to exclude as much air as possible and to get maximum waste into the bin and finally the lid is firmly secured. It is best to cut food waste into smaller pieces to help reduce air pockets and to increase the surface area exposed to the bacteria in the bran. This can be seen as a royal pain but like any new system, you can be trained! The Bokashi bran has to be bought and such an ongoing cost is a drawback of this system. A year’s supply (approx 6 kg) will cost about £28. Do you want to commit £2.30 a month to the environmental cause? If you live in a flat and there are limited options open to you it is probably worth it but of course it depends on your circumstances. It is best to open the bin as little as possible, so collect scraps from food prep and then add in one go rather than keep opening it. Add a new sprinkling of the bran for every 3-4 cm of new kitchen waste and the manufacturers suggest erring on the side of excess rather than restraint. Well they would, wouldn’t they! But seriously, the more protein (meat, fish, egg) there is, the more microorganisms will be required for pickling. The juice can be drained from the tap regularly. It has to be used straight away (within a day) as it doesn’t keep well but luckily you don’t have to find a patch of soil for it as it makes a great drain cleaner! If you have houseplants to water, it has to be diluted 30 to 1 -- powerful stuff. It also makes a terrific liquid feed for outside plants especially vegetables if you do have access to a garden. In a couple of weeks the bin will be full and you’ll need a second bin to work this system sensibly. While the full bin ferments during the following two weeks the other bin can be filled. The juice will continue to collect in the bottom of the fermenting bin and still has to be siphoned off every few days. When the first bin has fermented it can be dug into the soil or put in a compost heap. On contact with the air (air is present in the soil) it will resume normal (aerobic) decomposition. It is best not to dig it in near new plants as it is quite strong but after a few weeks of it having been in the soil it is safe for new planting and will be excellent for hungry vegetables. The whole process is odourless bar the faint smell of cocktail gherkins which could lead to a dangerous association with aperitifs. If any other sort of smell materializes the contents may be rotting rather than fermenting. Causes might be air getting in from the lid not being properly closed, insufficient bran so there are too few microorganisms, the juice not being drained or the bin becoming too warm so that the food waste is decaying before it can ferment. If a bin has gone this way the best option is to bury it in soil with a couple of handfuls of bran, away from garden plants. If this isn’t possible it will have to go in the regular bin, out of the house ASAP. A fluffy, white mold in the bin is a good sign that it’s fermenting whereas black or darkly coloured moulds indicate that the food is rotting and the bin contents will have to be ditched. The only substances Bokashi doesn’t like are liquids, bones and any one item in excess. Its value as a way of coping with organic matter that you’re advised can’t go in your compost heap is that you can compost meat, fish, dairy, eggs, grains and oils without having to worry about attracting vermin to your yard. If you have no garden space at all however it means that you will have to go to the extra effort of finding somewhere to put the compost. Taking it to parents’ or friends’ gardens (and any gardener worth their salt will be delighted with the gift!) is one solution. Otherwise the hassle (unless you have an above average civic conscience) of contacting the local authorities and finding out where it could go may be a deterrent. However authorities are facing landfill taxes and this sort of problem may be higher on their agenda than you might think. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Want to learn more about the alchemy of composting and how to choose the right system for you? Go to www.CompostEverything.com and sign up for a FREE 10 part mini-course now! Sarah Cowell Dip. Hort. is a gardener and writer on horticulture matters |
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