What is Bokashi?
Bokashi is a Japanese style composting which means "well fermented matter". Bokashi ferments in an anaerobic environment which means no oxygen should be present. If we use the system correctly, we end up with two products. The first is a highly nutritious compost and the other is the bokashi liquid, also known as Bokashi tea! This can be used as a fertilizer for plants when mixed with water. To get to these end products however, we have to use it properly.
Using the Bokashi
Prepping the food for the bin
When making lunch for a big group of people, there is a lot to think about, and one of those things is the waste we produce when preparing the food. You will see in the kitchen that there are white buckets with “compost 1” written on them. There is a sign up on the wall showing you where they are. Have this bucket next to you when chopping your veg so that you can keep all of the waste together. The key is to chop the waste while chopping the food that you will end up using for the meal. When chopping the waste for the Bokashi, make sure that it is about 5 cm (roughly the size of the top of your thumb). Cutting it this size allows for all of the waste to break down evenly and for us to get lovely compost as a result.
Using the bin
So, you have your waste ready to go in your bokashi bucket, Great! Open up the bin that’s in use and grab the plunger. With the plunger, push down the waste that is already in the bin. When you feel like the liquid has been squeezed out, take the bokashi starter and sprinkle the starter on top. Take your “Compost 1” bucket with your waste and make a layer in the bin. Taking the starter again, sprinkle more on top of the fresh waste that has gone in. Finally, close the lid of the bin and make sure that the two handles on the side are snapped shut.
If the bokashi bran needs to be replenished you can find some in a grey container in dry storage!
