Was skeptical about bokashi composting for months, but my neighbor in the complex convinced me

I was sure bokashi would stink up my tiny apartment. My neighbor Sarah who lives two doors down kept saying how she's been doing it for 6 months without any smell. She let me come over and sniff her bucket and I was shocked - just smelled like pickles. I finally tried it with a $15 bucket from a garden store and she was right. The trick is really pressing down hard every time you add scraps. Has anyone else been surprised by how well something worked after doubting it?

2 comments

2 Comments

wade_perez26d ago

My neighbor down the hall put me onto bokashi too and I was the same way. Had this whole mental picture of rotting meat juice everywhere but it really does just smell like sour pickles and yeast. The pressing down part is key, I learned that the hard way when I forgot one time and got a weird fruity smell instead.

juliahall26d ago

@wade_perez you're right about that fruity smell, I had the same mistake happen when I slacked off on pressing one week. For folks just starting out, I'd suggest keeping a small plate or jar lid on top of your scraps to help you remember to push down every time. A little extra pressure goes a long way in keeping things smelling like pickles instead of trouble.