Bokashi Composting in the Household

"Bokashi" is a generic Japanese term that simply means "fermented organic matter". Most of us would know it as "silage". The difference here is that it is made with EM•1^®

Bokashi can be used to stabilize food waste, replace clay cat litter, amend soil, clean waterways (rivers, lakes and ponds), and be used to soak up spills.

Make Bokashi

EM•1® Bokashi is a product made of dry organic matter such as rice or wheat bran, hay, sawdust, dried leaves, etc. and fermented with EM•1^® Microbial Inoculant;, molasses, and water. The most common types of EM•1^® Bokashi sold are rice bran or wheat bran. Rice bran is more desirable because it is loaded with several vitamins, namely vitamin E.

To make your own EM•1^® Bokashi (in this recipe) you'll need a 50 pound bag of bran (or some other dried plant material), some EM•1^®, molasses, and fresh water. A 50# bag of wheat bran made into bokashi costs about $22 to make (including the EM•1^® Microbial Inoculant, molasses, and bran). Rice bran costs about twice as much as wheat bran. This recipe takes about 20 minutes from start to finish to make a 50-pound bag of EM•1^® Bokashi. It needs to ferment for a minimum of two weeks and then is dried for long-term storage. If you choose not to make it, you can purchase it from on the link above.

Where to get the ingredients

Wheat bran or rice bran can be purchased at any co-op or grain/feed supply store. A 50-pound bag of wheat bran usually costs about $15 (plus tax). The molasses can be purchased at a feed store or in any grocery store in the baking section (near the sugars). A quart of molasses is usually about $5. Blackstrap, cane, or feed molasses are what you want. Other sugars can be used, but require recipe changes to accommodate for lack of sugar and minerals and are not as stable during fermentation.

Recipe for 50 Pounds of Bokashi:

Materials:

50 lbs wheat bran or rice bran
1 cup Waste Treatment or EM•1^® Microbial Inoculant
1 cup molasses
3-4 gallons clean water
large black plastic garbage bag or airtight container
Something to mix the materials in or on

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Procedure:

Mix one gallon of the water with the molasses to dissolve the molasses. Mix in the EM•1^®.
Mix the liquid thoroughly into the bran
Squeeze some of the bran into a ball. If it holds shape and no extra liquid comes out, it is the correct moisture. Put into bag or container. If it is too dry, add more water and mix.
If using the bag, tie the bag tightly, squeezing out excess air. If using a container, press down mixture and cover container tightly.
Place mixture somewhere warm and out of the way. Let it ferment for a minimum of two weeks. Longer is fine.
When fermentation is complete, you may notice some white mold on/in the bokashi. This is good. Black or green mold means some air got into the container or it was too moist and is undesireable. You can use the material as is, or dry for long-term storage.
Keep airtight during storage, whether dry or wet.

Make Bokashi Balls

Several projects around world using Effective Microorganisms&trade to clean up fast-flowing bodies of water have utilized "bokashi balls". EM•1^® Bokashi Balls are made of dried mud into which EM•1^® Bokashi and activated EM•1^® Microbial Inoculant have been kneaded. They are used to clean up bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and oceans where there are concentrated deposits of sludge and slime.

How to Make EM•1^® Bokashi Balls - Basic Materials:

Dirt. It is usually best to use clay-like dirt that can easily be formed into balls.
Activated EM•1^® Microbial Inoculant (AEM•1^®)
EM•1^® Bokashi
Super Cera Powder or Terra Powder

How to Use EM•1^® Bokashi Balls

Use EM•1^® Bokashi Balls in river bottoms and mud flats where slime has accumulated. Use one EM•1^® Bokashi Ball for each square meter of surface area.
Use EM•1^® Bokashi Balls once each season until results are seen.
Cleaning up oceans, rivers, lakes and ponds requires the application of EM•1^® into the water through a variety of methods. It is recommended that activated EM•1^® liquid also be regularly applied into the water to supplement the use of EM•1^® Bokashi Balls.

Ratio of Materials

When using dirt only: 10 parts dirt + Activated EM•1®(AEM) + EM-X Ceramics Powder (optional). When using dirt and EM•1^® Bokashi: 8 parts dirt to 2-4 parts EM•1^® Bokashi + AEM + EM-X^® Ceramics Powder (optional).
8 parts dirt to 1-3 parts EM•1^® Bokashi + Special EM•1^® bokashi for EM•1^® Bokashi Balls+ AEM•1^® + EM-X^® Ceramics Powder (optional).
When using dirt and mud from mud flats: 5 parts dirt to 5 parts mud flat mud + AEM•1^® + EM-X^® Ceramics Powder (optional).
When using dirt and mud from mud flats and EM•1^® Bokashi: 9 parts dirt to 9 parts mud from mud flats + 1 part EM•1^® Bokashi + AEM•1^® + EM-X^® Ceramics Powder (optional).

Note:

Since the water content of the dirt and mud used will vary, the amount of AEM•1^® will vary as well. As a general rule, though, if for instance you produce 3.5 - 4 gallons of material you will need approximately 1 liter/quart of AEM•1^®. Always be sure to have enough AEM•1^® on hand in case it is needed. If you use it up, you can add extra water instead (don't be afraid to use a lot of AEM•1^®).
The amount of optional EM-X^® Ceramics Powder will be between 0.5-1.0% of the total amount. For example, for 2.5 gallons of material this will equal 3.5 - 7 Tbs of EM-X^® Ceramics Powder.

Kitty Litter

EM•1^® Bokashi can be used in place of clay kitty litter. It is absorbent, prevents odors and can be used as a fertilizer for ornamental flowers instead of land filled as all clay litters must be. You can make your own or buy some EM•1^® Organic Rice Bran Bokashi from us.

If you decide to make some EM•1^® Bokashi yourself, follow the direction on the "Make Bokashi" tab. If you prefer to try some EM•1^® Bokashi that is ready to go first, feel free to order some from us by clicking this link. We offer EM•1^® Bokashi made with Certified Organic Rice Bran in several sizes from 2lbs to 55-gallon barrels.

If you make your own, you will need to dry it before using it for kitty litter. To dry, spread out thinly out of direct sunlight and let air dry.

EM•1^® Bokashi, once dried, is stable until it gets wet. Moisture revives the microbes in the EM•1^® Bokashi. EM•1^® Bokashi can be used in a litter box instead of other litters for cats to control odors from urine and feces. The most common litter on the market is made of clay and is almost always thrown in a landfill. Instead of landfilling, put the litter to good use as a fertilizer for your ornamental plants, trees and flower beds. Talk about a great way to recycle and save money!

Food Waste

Here’s a much easier way to recycle food wastes without going through the work of composting. Speed up the process, and get the materials you have now turned into compost fast! Whether you live in an apartment, condo, or house, you can now recycling all of your food wastes with this easy method.

1-2 Weeks to fill the bucket (pictured above).

2 weeks in the bucket.

2 weeks in the ground.

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1-2 Weeks to Fill:
Add food wastes to the bucket, sprinkling EM•1^® Bokashi on the food wastes. Continue adding layers until the bucket is full (which often takes an average family about 1 week to fill).

2 Weeks in the bucket
Once the bucket is full, close the container and let the food waste pickle for 1 to 2 weeks.

During this fermentation time, liquid will drain to the bottom of the bucket. This liquid can be used as a plant food! Simply drain the liquid once a day and dilute 1 teaspoon per 1 gallon of water for all your indoor or outdoor plants. If there is too much liquid, you can pour it into a compost pile or down the drain. The amount of liquid depends on the food wastes that are added to the bucket. Example: Bread and meats will not produce as much liquid as fruits and vegetables.

2 Weeks in the Ground

In the Ground

Add the contents of the bucket to an existing garden bed or soil that needs amending. If you bury in the ground, be sure to cover the food wastes with at least 8-12 inches of soil.

Feed to worms

Add the contents of the bucket to an existing worm bed. The pickled food waste can also be used in worm beds. Since worms do not have teeth, and the fermentation process softens the food waste, the worms have an easier time breaking down the materials.

Feed to livestock

Add the contents of the bucket to animals’ feed. The pickled food waste is loaded with live beneficial microbes, vitamins, and amino acids that are excellent nutrient sources.

Add to a compost pile

Dig into the compost pile and add the contents of the bucket to an existing compost pile.

We import specially-designed bokashi buckets from Japan that are made for the Bokashi Method of treating household food wastes. These buckets are infused with EM-X^® Ceramic powders that help accelerate the fermentation process.

Make a bucket

Somebody has thought to put together a video on how to make their own bokashi bucket for use in home composting. Check out this video to see how easy it is to do it.

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