Bokashi is a Japanese word that translates to 'fermented organic waste'. It is a process of fermenting or ‘pickling’ food scraps. It involves adding food scraps to an airtight container and then covering food scraps with granules containing beneficial bugs (microbes) that ferment food anaerobically (i.e. with no oxygen). 

These microbes are pretty easy to please. Provided the food is not too rotten or mouldy they can pickle any food material with little no oxygen present. When the pickling process is complete, the pickled solid needs to be broken down either in a home compost bin or buried in soil which in turn helps condition your soil.

There are a few options! Remember you will need at least two buckets or two sets of bokashi bins so that once you have filled your first bucket, another bucket can be started straight away.

OPTION 1: Using airtight buckets are your basic and cheapest option! These are normally food grade plastic buckets with a lid that seals airtight. A food grade bucket (or paint bucket) volume size between 10 Litres - 30 litres is generally suitable for household use.

These are available from your local hardware or department stores.

Also check out the Pickled Starter Kit as an option.

OPTION 2: Invest in a purpose-built Bokashi Bin. These normally have a spigot and/or a perforated plate that sits inside the bokashi bin to allow for the liquid to drain to the bottom of the bucket. This liquid needs to be drained every 2-3 days.

These are available at local hardware stores around the country such as Mitre 10 or Bunnings.

OPTION 3: DIY a bokashi bin with drainage. Check out how to upcycle paint buckets as bokashi bins here: https://www.resene.co.nz/homeown/habitat/19-Bokashi-compost.htm

Having another bucket available means when you have filled your first bucket, you can use another bucket straight away. Once you have filled your first bucket, let it sit for at least 7 - 14 days days to fully pickle before emptying into a home compost bin or burying in the soil.

All solid food scraps! This includes cooked and uncooked foods such as leftovers, meat, fish and seafood; fruits, vegetables as well as dairy products, eggs, bread, coffee grounds and tea bags.  However if foods have a large amount of blue/black/green mould on them or are too liquid based, keep these out.

While a healthy bokashi system can include most solid food items, please do not include:

- liquids (such as milk, oil, orange juice etc.). 

- too many mouldy or rotten foods. 

The occasional mouldy bread slice, lemon, apple or grape is fine but adding these in large amounts can disrupt the pickling process. 

Brown paper, cardboard, toilet paper rolls, newspaper are totally fine to add. However, it's not necessary to pickle these items plus they might fill your bokashi up faster than you'd like!

It is best to keep these aside to use as a 'brown' to mix with your finished Bokashi when emptying into your outdoor compost or burying in your garden.

In terms of compostable plastics - keep all 'commercial compost' packaging out. These can only be processed in a commercial compost facility.

Home compostable packaging products are not necessary to make quality compost so these can be left out of your Bokashi and compost. There is also a chance that the chemical additives in home compostable packaging (even if certified) are harmful to the soil when they breakdown. Kaicycle have a great explanation on their rationale for not accepting any forms of packaging in their compost services.

Pickled Composting Flakes contain beneficial microbes that ferment - or "pickle" - your food scraps. These microbes kickstart the fermentation process, helping to preserve the food, reduce odours, and deter pests.

To use:

• Start your bucket with a small handful of flakes sprinkled on the bottom.
• After each 2.5-litre layer of food scraps (pressed down to remove air pockets), add 1–2 tablespoons of flakes.
• Ensure an even coverage across the surface.
• For high-protein scraps like meat, dairy, fish, seafood, bones, or shells, double the amount of flakes to support proper fermentation.

The result? A sweet, vinegar-like smell and a pest-resistant, pre-composted material that’s ready for the next step in your composting journey.

If you are using 1-2 tablespoons once a day, a 75g pouch of Pickled Composting Flakes can last about 4 weeks; and a 190g bag 3-4 months.

If you are adding more high protein based foods such as meat, dairy, fish/seafood and bones/shells; you will need to double this amount as these tend to break down slowly.

The beneficial bugs pickling your food scraps prefer as little air exposure as possible. 

Try to aim for just once a day, and make sure the lid is sealed airtight after opening.

It is best to collect your scraps in a kitchen caddy (such as a small 5 litre bucket or an ice-cream container) that sits on the bench or under the sink.  This way when you empty your haul of scraps into your pickling bucket, you’ll only be opening and sealing your bucket 1-2 times a day.

Great question! According to Love Food, Hate Waste NZ, the average New Zealand household throws away 3.15 kg each week with just over half of our food waste falling under the ‘avoidable’ food waste category. 

This means, we throw out food that could have been eaten.  For great tips on how to store, and reduce food waste in your household check out great tips on the Love Food, Hate Waste website. 

No.  Provided your lid is kept sealed airtight and your food scraps are pickling nicely, pests such as flies or rodents are less likely to enter.

When emptying your pickling bucket into a home compost bin, usually rodents won't go for acidic foods like bokashi, but prefer foods that are going rotten. However if they are hungry, they will eat anything - even bokashi! So if you are concerned about rodents, make sure your home compost is rodent proof regardless OR check out how to use a 'soil factory'.

Check out Predator Free NZ on tips to rat proof a home compost bin and how to set appropriate traps if rats are burrowing underneath your compost bin.

Once the bucket is full, you will need to store the bucket in an area out of direct sunlight for at least 7 -14 days until your scraps are fully pickled. When finished, either add it to your regular home compost bin / pile, bury it in your garden soil.

If you don't have a garden or a compost bin, finished Bokashi / Pickled solid can be buried in a 'soil factory', plant pots etc. or donated to a Peels or MakeSoil host or processed by a local compost collect service including Compost Clubs.

If your bin is giving off an unpleasant odour and/or there is condensation on the lid, it is likely there is too much humidity. This means your food material is too wet and warm. The solution?

1. Store in a cool place, out of direct sunlight

2. Add material like shredded newspaper, an egg carton or old stale bread to absorb any excess moisture.

3. Make sure your bucket is sealed airtight.

If your bin smells rotten, it is likely to not be pickling - but putrefying!  Usually a few things are at play including:  

- Too wet.  Solution: (see above)

- Not enough microbes.  Solution: Add more Pickled Flakes. 

- Too much air.  Solution: Seal your lid, make sure it’s sealed or clicked airtight; and squash / compact food material to remove air pockets.

After 7-14 days your pickling bucket should smell sweet and sour, kimchi, kombucha or sauerkraut like. You also might see white mould threads growing on top - which is a sure sign you've succesfully pickled your food scraps! Well done! :)

When you know it has finished pickling you want to empty your bucket or bokashi bin either into an outdoor compost bin or pile, bury it in your garden soil or soil factory; or participate in a shared waste or local collection service to dispose of your pickled solid.

When adding directly to a compost bin mix equal parts browns (carbon sources such as wood mulch, shredded newspaper, leaf litter or garden soil) to the volume of bokashi / pickled soild. This will help break down the pickled solid faster in your compost!

This means your bokashi is working perfectly and is pretty much pickled!  We believe a congratulations is in order :)

Ok.. so it's likely your food scraps are not pickling - but putrefying!  If it's also smelling rotten, it might pay to empty your bucket and start again. 

A kitchen caddy is a small container - like an ice cream tub or 5-litre bucket that sits on your kitchen bench or under the sink to collect food scraps throughout the day.

It’s recommended because it allows you to store scraps temporarily without needing to open your bokashi or pickling bucket multiple times a day. Frequent opening can introduce too much oxygen, which may disrupt the anaerobic pickling process. It also reduces the hassle of constantly sealing the lid tightly, helping to keep the system simple and effective.