Managing Food Scraps in My Kitchen
Before I compost, I make every effort to prevent food waste. Besides making a shopping list and storing food safely, I save my scraps to make stock.
Peels core, and vegetable ends go in a 1-quart container in my freezer. When full, I add the scraps to 2-3 quarts of water and boil. After straining, I freeze the stock and put the scraps in my kitchen collector with coffee grounds, tea, eggshells, and leaves.
When I'm ready to take my food scraps to the compost, I add water to my kitchen collector. This mixture helps keep my compost moist. My compost tumbler tends to dry out quickly so the added water and moisture from the food scraps is needed.
Sometimes, when I add my scraps, liquid will drip through the tumbler. I keep a tray lined with egg cartons and shredded paper beneath my tumbler. Once it's done draining, I toss the egg cartons and shredded paper into the tumbler.
Ongoing Maintenance
Checking the moisture level is important. Most of the year a weekly check is fine, but in the hot summer months, I need to check every few days. If my plants need water, my compost probably does too!
If my compost smells, I cap it with carbon-rich materials like leaves, egg cartons, and shredded newspaper. I must be a good neighbor!
And that's it! Composting with a tumbler doesn't have to be a lot of work. I find success building the process into my schedule and always keeping my tumbler moist.
