How to Compost Cooked Food

Compost mixing and ventilation allows bacteria to break food into rich soil

You can reduce kitchen trash output by adding cooked foods to a contained outdoor compost system. Composting cooked foods in an open pile often attracts unwelcome rodents, flying insects and other scavengers to the garden or backyard. Using a sealed composter reduces these unwanted pests while maintaining the appropriate temperature range and moisture levels to break down cooked food waste. Mixing cooked food into a closed compost system in correct proportions will allow the necessary airflow for a rapid breakdown into usable soil.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Contained outdoor compost bin
• Dry, brown yard waste
• Knife or food processor
• Fresh, green yard waste
• Raw food scraps
• Pitchfork (optional)
• Thermometer

1. Fill the base of the compost container with about 6 inches of twigs and other loosely packed, dry, brown yard waste. This creates a zone at the base that has open pockets for airflow.

2. Cut cooked food into small pieces so that it can be mixed evenly throughout the compost bin. A sharp knife or food processor will make quick work of a pile of food scraps. Liquids, such as soups, and small items, such as like rice, require no preparation.

3. Add equal amounts of green and brown yard waste, raw scraps of plants and vegetables and the cooked food to the bin. Ingredient ratios are especially important in cooked food composting to balance temperature and moisture.

4. Turn the material inside the compost bin every two or three days to break up clumps and aerate the debris. Inserting a pitchfork from above the opened container and twisting is an effective mixing method. Some outdoor composting systems are tumblers that can simply be turned over a few times to mix the contents.

5. Move half of the composting food debris aside to take a temperature reading in the center after the mixing process. A compost pile running above 140 degrees Fahrenheit will kill most food-borne pathogens. Move the bin to an area that gets more sun if it is composting below 140 degrees F.

6. Continue adding the cooked food in equal ratios with the green, brown and raw material as the level in the bin lowers. Harvest the composted soil and reseal the container according to the manufacturer's directions for the specific compost container model.

Tips & Warnings

• Adding earthworms or giving them access to the container through ground holes will speed up the composting process. Worms eat the raw and cooked food and generate castings that are a highly desired soil source for plant growers.

References

• Danny Lipford: Expert Advice on Home Improvement: How to Compost Cooked Foods, Meats, and Dairy
• Cornell University: Cornell Composting: Frequently Asked Questions by Nancy Trautmann and Tom Richard

Resources

• Cooked Food Compost Bin