What is Bokashi?

At 'Pickled' we make it easier to compost all food using a system that ferments or 'pickles' scraps - commonly known as Bokashi.

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) 'Pickled Composting Flakes' that ferment food in an anaerobic environment (i.e. with no oxygen). 

It essentially makes any food item compostable.  Yes that's right  - almost any food item!  Food that is inedible (or no longer edible) such as raw and cooked meat, fish, bones, shells, leftovers, dairy products and citrus that normally take a long time to breakdown (not to mention attract pests), can all be pickled!

The thing is a large percentage (48%) of food waste in household general waste contains just these things: bones, shells, banana skins, and food past its expiry date; and when added directly to a home compost these inedible food items usually create unpleasant smells, attract pests and take longer to breakdown. 

And unfortunately "..the largest proportion of food wasted in New Zealand comes from households" - Love Food, Hate Waste

But just because these items are not edible or easy to compost, does not mean they do not have nutrient value!  

The beauty with bokashi or pickling inedible food scraps such as bones, shells, food past its use by date, is that once fully pickled these foods break down nearly twice as fast in soil, releasing essential nutrients to grow nutritious food.