Welcome to Hotline Rewind, the weekly series where we gather up your questions from the week (and pepper in some from the Hotline archives) about a specific culinary topic. For years, I thought composting was a super complex process, reserved only for the most serious of home gardeners. But, in truth, it is super accessible both for yard-havers and apartment-dwellers alike! If you’re looking to start hoarding your food scraps, a great place to start is our Q&A below:
What’s the best way to compost in an apartment?
With lack of space being a pretty limiting factor, along with close living quarters, either with roommates or close neighbors, I love a countertop compost bin to collect fruit and veggie off-cuts.
From there, you’ll need to find a municipal or community composting group in your area. They will handle the long term care/work. While you wait for drop-off day, you can simply collect your food scraps in an air-tight container in the freezer to avoid smells and pests.
I bought a compost bin for my yard. Now what?
In theory, you could just let your waste sit in the bin, and eventually, all the scraps will decompose. However, this can be super smelly and take up to two years to break down properly.
For more proactive composting, turn, mix, or stir the compost mixture every one to two weeks, and balance carbon-rich materials (leaves, wood chips) with nitrogen-rich (food scraps, fresh grass) ones. (Some bins even tumble, mixing everything up as you fill it.)
Additionally, you could construct some holes or slats into the bottom of your static compost bin to ensure better airflow. More oxygen = more efficient decomposition.
How do you know when compost is ready to use?
When it looks, smells, and feels like soil. It should be crumbly, have a rich brown color, and have an earthy odor. You shouldn’t be able to recognize any of the original material.
Can I compost oyster or clam shells?
Yes! First, you must boil the shells to sterilize them. This will kill any bacteria or pathogens that could be harmful to the plants you intend to grow in the compost. After boiling, crush them into small pieces. If composted properly, bivalve shells are a natural way to balance your soil’s pH levels!
What about cooking oil?
In very small amounts, yes. Too much oil can create hydrophobic barriers which will reduce airflow and water levels, both of which are very important to composting. Instead I’d reuse things like fry oil until you cannot any longer, then research local options for recycling cooking oil.
Worst case scenario, you can follow the Hotline’s lead, and use an oil solidifying agent to make disposing it in the trash a mess-free experience.
I hear you can compost cardboard and newspaper—is that true?.
Products that are 100% paper (no gloss or coatings) are compostable. This eliminates cardboard that is fully dyed—think colored cereal boxes.
Luckily, newspapers these days are made with non-toxic inks so they can be composted. Paper will take longer to fully break down compared to food scraps. However, shredding the paper will both speed up the process and let in more oxygen.
Should I keep my compost in the sun or the shade?
The shade! The sun can dry out your compost and it needs moisture to promote decay.
Have more kitchen questions? Ask away on our Hotline or drop us a line at 1 (877)-52-HOTLINE.
