• Parchment paper

• Kitchen shears/knife & cutting board

• Food scraps

• Bokashi grains

• Permanent marker

• Tape (Optional)

• Two (2) plastic buckets

  • One (1) with holes drilled into the bottom

  • One (1) without holes on the bottom

• One (1) bucket lid

Setup: Put the bucket with holes inside the bucket without holes. 

Why? The bottom bucket will catch all the extra liquids* from the fermentation process.

Step 1 – Chop up your food scraps.

You can use kitchen shears or a kitchen knife to chop the food scraps. Aim for pieces about ½ to 1 inch in size. If the scraps are very wet, try to wring out the extra moisture.

Step 2 – Prepare your top bucket.

Add a layer of parchment paper to the bottom of the top bucket. This will cover the holes at the bottom and help prevent chunks of food from falling into the bucket below. Sprinkle bokashi grains onto the parchment paper. About 1 TBSP or a generous pinch of grains in one hand.

Step 3 – Add a layer of food scraps.

Add an even layer of 2 to 3 inches of chopped food scraps to the bottom of the top bucket. 

Step 4 – Add bokashi grains.

Sprinkle an even layer of bokashi grain on the top of the food scraps. About 1 TBSP or a generous pinch of grains in one hand, enough to coat the surface. It does not need to completely cover the food scraps, it is acceptable to still be able to see the food scraps peeking through underneath. 

Step 5 – Repeat until full.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there is no more room in the bucket. Add another even layer of 2 to 3-inches of chopped food scraps and sprinkle the same amount of grains on top. When the bucket is half full, use an extra sheet of parchment paper or a piece of cardboard to press down on the food scraps to get all the air out. Repeat these steps until you fill the bucket. Make sure the last layer has bokashi grains on top. (You can keep a sheet of parchment paper on the top surface of the food scraps to limit contact with air before the bucket is filled.)

Step 6 – Cover with parchment paper, seal the bucket with the lid, and record the date.

Once the bucket is full, add a layer of parchment paper to the very top that covers all the food scraps. Put the lid on the bucket and make sure it is sealed well. This method works best with very little air in the container. On the lid, (optional: on a piece of tape) record the date of the last time food scraps were added to the bucket.

Step 7 – Keep closed and undisturbed for at least 2 weeks to ferment.

Leave the bucket in a cool, ventilated area out of direct sunlight for at least 14 days. This is the minimum amount of time for the fermentation to take place. During this time, you can collect the liquid (Bokashi tea*) from the bottom bucket to be discarded or diluted 1:100 with water and used to water plants.

Best Practices:

Keep your bucket dry, gently push as much air out of the food scraps as possible (this bacteria doesn’t like air!), and remember to fully close the lid each time. Fuzzy white mold or fungus is expected and a sign that your scraps are fermenting correctly.

Troubleshooting - Add more bokashi grains if the bucket has a foul odor, make sure that the lid is closed completely and is as air-tight as possible, and if all else fails - put it in the municipal compost!

What NOT to put into your bucket:

• Moldy food

• Very wet food scraps

• Liquids and oils (a little fried food is okay)

• Pet waste (urine, poop, fur, hair)

• Large, thick bones (chicken and fish bones are okay)

• Paper products besides the top and bottom layer of parchment paper - No paper towels, cardboard, paper napkins, tissues, etc.

*A note on bokashi tea

The liquid that falls into the bottom bucket is nutritious and called bokashi tea!

Diluted 1:100 (50 ounces or 1.5 liters of water for every 1 TBSP of undiluted bokashi tea), this solution is suitable for watering plants. Emptying the bottom bucket frequently and cleaning it thoroughly will help prevent bad odors.

After 2 weeks of fermenting, you can now bury your fermented food scraps! If you do not have a space to bury the bokashi yourself, you are welcome todrop off your full bokashi bucket at the Restaurant 2 Garden work site at the Danny Woo Community Garden. We work there every Saturday 10:30-1 PM. Please text 650-516-6274 or email hello@restaurant2garden.com for more details.

Step 1 - Bury the Bokashi

With a garden:

Do not bury these food scraps directly under established plants. Dig a trench at least 8-12 inches deep. Open the bucket, remove the top piece of parchment paper, and empty the bucket with holes into the trench. Remove the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the bucket. Using a shovel or a spade, break apart the food scraps and distribute through the trench. Cover remaining space with soil.

Without a garden:

Fill a container at least 5 gallons or larger with a layer of soil 6 inches or deeper. Dig a trench in this soil. Open the bucket, remove the top piece of parchment paper, and empty the bucket with holes into the trench. Remove the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the bucket. Using a shovel or a spade, break apart the food scraps and distribute through the trench. Cover with 8-12 inches of soil. Loosely cover your container to allow some air flow and to keep excess moisture out.

Step 2 - Wait

Do not disturb the buried bokashi. Wait a minimum of 21 days for the food scraps to fully decompose.

Plan to do this at least 3 weeks before your next growing cycle.

Step 3 - Till and Plant

After 21 days, till the area where the bokashi was buried. If there are still obvious pieces of food in the soil, re-bury it and wait an additional week. You should see rich, dark soil before using this enriched soil to grow plants.

Plant directly above this area or use the enriched soil in other areas in your garden plot.