Rice/Pasta

[Bex]

Evening All!!
Just a quick silly question - Can I put cooked rice and pasta into my compost bin?

(told you it was silly)

[Alison]

I've put cooked pasta in the wormery (assume if you can do that then the compost bin would be OK?) but only clean stuff with no sauce on and that's been OK. Not put rice in and am not sure about posh egg based pasta - we tend to use the dried stuff usually.

[Alice]

Hello Bex, I don't put anything cooked in the compost bin. It's just an attractant for flies and vermin. Interesting to see what others think.

[Nicos]

No - nothing cooked here either- only protein is egg or seafood shells. Not had rats so far!!

[rustylady]

Hi Bex, I only use plant material in the compost, plus shredded newspaper that's been used as bedding for the guinea pigs. Eggshells are OK, but best to crush them - not sure about seafood shells Nicos, there's a lot of cats round here and I think the smell would drive them crazy!

[Slug]

I never put anything cooked in mine either - I'll throw it on the grass for the birds to eat instead - not that there are many left overs in our house

[Earthbabe]

Hmmm - I don't know. I don't usually put anything cooked in the compost bin except cooked veggies that haven't made it into soup and then only if they are "au naturel" shall we say (ie no gravy or sauce). My neighbour puts anything leftover in his compost bin but I don't think that's why his compost is wet and smelly. As shop bought pasta is cereal and water I suppose in theory you could again don't know about the post stuff but if people are putting egg shells on ..... Rice could come under the same argument. If there are rats around you need to protect your bin regardless as they will go in for veggie scraps as for anything else.

[Bex]

I don't think I will put it in the compost bin, its just that I cooked too much rice last night and it seemed a shame to throw it away. There is a stream next to our allotments so the chances for rats is quite high don't want to encourage them further.
Thanks everyone for your opinions, I knew you'd know the right thing to do.

[hils]

Folks, buy a Bokashi bin; you can put virtually everything into it. I bless the day I bought one earlier on this year; seriously impressed.

[Alison]

Oooh somebody with a Bokashi bin! Have been wondering about a pair of these for a while. What are they like, any problems etc etc? Have looked on the internet and there's quite a bit of negative stuff about them but the idea looks great and it would enable us to reduce our household waste even further. Do they smell at all? Do you put the settled stuff on the compost heap or use it in some other manner? And finally (honest!) how often do you have to buy the bran stuff?

[shirlthegirl43]

I don't think I will put it in the compost bin, its just that I cooked too much rice last night and it seemed a shame to throw it away. There is a stream next to our allotments so the chances for rats is quite high don't want to encourage them further.
Thanks everyone for your opinions, I knew you'd know the right thing to do.

Rice freezes well - just defrost and heat in the microwave when you need it (or chuck it straight in the wok for stir-fry). No need to throw it away unless it has sauce or something on it.

[Sue]

Alison
I've got the Bokashi bins and as you say it does reduce food waste completely. I found it fairly smelly and it did attract flies in the summer so took the buckets down to the allotment. After its "done" I put it on the compost heap, by then it smells sour and rather like vinegar. The bran requirements obviously depend on how much you use it but Wiggly Wigglers supply the bran and you can get a standing order, it lasts for six months so you could bulk order too.
Sue

[eskymo]

I've just strated using bokashi, but didn't buy the bokashi bins as I thought the cost of them was outrageous. I bought four of these from an ebay shop instead:

10 Litre Clear Food Storage Box and Handle

A bargain at just £2.50 each. I then made a few holes in the bottom of a couple of the bins. Basically you slide a bin with holes in the bottom into one of the bins without holes so that the latter catches any liquid coming out of the bottom - no need for a tap.

You put the food waste and bokashi into the top bin and squash it down and cover with a sheet of newspaper to help with the anaerobic process and then bung the lid on it.

I've got one bin full now which has to sit for 2 weeks and I've started the next one. I've not noticed any horrible odour yet and I'm also not very convinced the bokashi is doing anything. No doubt when I lift the lid in two weeks time it will reak, but wiggly wigglers say the bokashi is supposed to eliminate odour...so we shall see!

I've got a 6 month deal thing with wiggly wigglers where they deliver a bag of bokashi every two months - so I'm giving it 6 months and if I'm not impressed after that I'm going to give up.

E

[Alison]

Let me know how you get on Eskymo as I'm still in that interested but not taking the plunge stage and any feedback could send me either way.

[CarolineSonning]

Has anyone tried one of those "green cones", any thoughts as to if they work?