I have an enclosed compost bin can I put left over cooked food in it the instructions just say kitchen scraps?

Answer 1

No cooked food, just fruit, veg peelings, teabags etc.

Answer 2

In all the instructions I have consulted regarding composting everyone of them states don't compost any kind of meat cooked or uncooked, most other scraps can be composted, what most people don't know is that egg shells are very good for compost, any composted material should be periodically covered with about two inches of garden soil this helps quicken the composting and helps to keep the flies down, and add some water now and again. Tea bags have been suggested, while they won't do any harm they will take ages to compost, after all the are made to wthstand boiling water so just think how long they will still be in the compost.

Answer 3

If it is a specialised food composter then it should be no real problem, just use the accelerator as per instructions, the same with bones. However the smaller the item the better, always chop fine any left overs.
If it is a general garden composter, then no. So no bones, meat, dairy, tea bags, coffee grinds etc, only vegetable matter, grass cuttings, old plants from garden and some soil. Dont forget to get some good compost maker to help the process and remember to give it a turn every couple of weeks.

Answer 4

Cooked vegetables won't do any harm, and cooking actually speeds the composting process because it softens the food. Think of a raw carrot versus a cooked carrot and it just makes sense.

What you want to avoid putting in the compost bin is any meat or dairy products. So if your cooked food consists of a casserole, it should go in the trash. But a few leftover cooked veggies would be a good addition to compost.

Answer 5

Composting Meat & Dairy
Meat and dairy products are high in fat. They will cause an unpleasant odor if added to a passive pile or poorly-managed active compost pile. For a hot, well-turned compost pile, meat and dairy wastes are not a problem. However, it is better to run the wastes through a blender or food processor to reduce their size and speed their decomposition.
An application rate, limited to a concentration of fat at 1% of the soil mass was reported as being the most desirable rate in that no negative effects in germination were observed.

Fat, oil, and grease have a high C/N ratio (90:1) and, if applied to agricultural soils, may affect the availability of N to crops, due to soil N immobilization during its decomposition. The same will happen in a compost pile without a nitrogen source. FOG will slow the compost reaction if it is added in high concentration.

What should never be added are;
Feces either from your pet or human - They carry diseases and parasites, as well as cause an unpleasant odor
Diseased garden plants - They can infect the compost pile and influence the finished product.
Invasive weeds - Spores and seeds of invasive weeds (buttercups, morning glory, quack grass) can survive the decomposition process and spread to your desired plants when you use the finished compost.
Wood ashes - It is highly alkaline (high pH) and also rich in potassium salts. Further, the fine particle size of ash also tends to plug the pores of clay soils leading to water penetration and drainage problems. Okay for sandy, acidic soils.
Glossy paper - The inks are toxic to the soil microorganisms.
Pesticide-treated plant material - These are harmful to the compost foodweb organisms, and pesticides may survive into the finished compost..
Eucalyptus leaves and bark - allelopathic effects impact nutrient cycling and prevents some seed germination
Treated lumber - Will not break down.
Poison Ivy - It is a potent source of urushiol even after a year and a half (to sensitive individuals).
Walnut shells - Juglone, a naturally occurring chemical released by all parts of black walnut trees, can have a toxic effect on many vegetables and landscape plants.

Answer 6

A simple rule of thumb is that if it was ever alive, it can be composted. With that said, too many people think that composting simply means throwing something on a pile and waiting for some kind of magic to spontaneously occur. That's like thinking that you can throw random ingredients into a cake pan and put it into an oven set at some random temperature and expecting a perfectly baked cake to come out. It takes the proper ratio of Carbon (greens), Nitrogen (browns) and moisture for the bacteria that actually do the work, to be able to do their work. There are lots of web sites that can give you the basics on composting, it's not complicated. But be aware that certain things, like animal fat, simply take longer to break down.

Answer 7

You can only put raw veggie scraps, staled bread, coffee grounds, tea bags, that sort of things. No greasy stuff or meat or bones. I tried before, but I gave up because of too much work to make only little of compost. (You have to rotate, mixing, air out, etc., right?) Now city I live in collects these and making compost, so I don't have to do it!

Answer 8

Any food materials will tend to attract rats! Some environmental health depts blame the increase in composting for a rise in rats. I'm sticking with grass cuttings and leaves.

Answer 9

I live in a community where backyard composting is manditory as compostable items are banned from local landfills. Here is the list of do's and don'ts they gave us:

What's in - Greens - fruit and veg peelings, coffee grounds, tea bags, bread, rice, pasta, baked goods, popcorn, chips, egg shells, freshly cut grass.

Browns - dry plants, dry grass, hay, napkins, paper towels, twigs, small brush, sawdust, corncobs (cut small), coffee filters, shredded paper, wood shavings. Human and animal hair from haircuts or from brushing.

What's out - Meat, fish, chicken, bones, cheese, dairy products, mayo and butter, diseased plants, animal waste, fat, grease, oil, lard and shortening.

To prevent little critters from visiting your bin remember to alternate brown and green. When ever you add green add a layer of brown. Remember to turn or stir your pile often. cut up big pieces. It needs to be a bit wet, like a wrung out sponge.

I put in mine everything I can, moldy applesauce that's been there too long, old juices, veggies that the kids didn't eat at supper... I rarely have critters come visit. A tip that I found useful is bag up your leaves in the fall, put them near your composter. Use them as your brown layer by grabbing few handfuls, crumple them up as you add them. You can even use the old leaves raked off your lawn in the spring. When the composter is layered properly, it won't smell.

Answer 10

It is not advisable to compost meat products or dairy products. Other than that, cooked vegetable matter is fine for a compost pile.

Here is a PDF file that is excellent information on composting:

http://www.epa.state.oh.us/pic/facts/citizens_guide_to_composting.pdf

Answer 11

No way. Never ever put cooked food of any kind into a composter. It will simply putrify instead of naturally decomposing and will encourage rats and other nasties