Forum Thermomix
Questions Doubts and Requests => Tips and Tricks => Topic started by: Thermomixer on September 06, 2008, 02:08:42 am
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If you compost your veggie scraps, then use the Thermomix to chop it up prior to placing it on the compost heap/bin, makes it break down faster.
I saw this tip originally on the German Hints & Tips website (http://www.vorwerk.com/de/thermomix/html/tipps.html)and then Dani at Kitchen playground blogged here
(http://www.thekitchenplayground.com/2008/bokashi-meets-thermomix/) about the idea too.
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good idea.
i think i'm too lazy for that but i do use the water i wash my porridge out with on my herbs ;)
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I use absolutely every drop of water that I rinse my TMX out with due to water restrictions here in South Australia. I have a bucket permanently in the sink and make many trips out to my garden during the day. Waste not want not. Must get another bucket for under the sink to put the vegie peelings in and give them a whizz at the end of the day for compost. See if I can put some goodness into my infertile soil.
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I'm a bit of a sad person, really, because I love compost. I can get quite enthusiastic about it. But I have to admit that every time I look at my kitchen compost bin and think about tipping it into my TM to blitz, I feel a bit weird about it, and can't quite bring myself to do it. I think it's because all the 'good' scraps go to our hens. They are turned into mash in the TM. But the mouldy stuff goes into the compost bin. And the thought of putting mouldy things into my TM to blity - ewww. :P
I guess that the difference is that normal people have what I use for hen mash as their compost ;D
Not sure where I first heard the compost idea - possibly in Oz, I think ... Seem to remember the consultant mentioning it, along with making natural pesticides. Was I jet lagged?!? I can't believe that I didn't take down details!!! That's exactly the sort of thing that I'd like to know about.
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I can see where you are coming from with the mush in the TM bowl - it looks absolutely disgusting and I tend to want to wash the bowl a lot longer than if it was normal cooking. Silly really, it is just peelings I'm putting in there with a bit of water to help it mush up. Our local council is supposed to be providing us with a bin for our vegie scraps pretty soon now and it will all end up as compost but unfortunately for them, they won't be getting any from me now that I know this tip. I just tip it into a barren piece of soil I have around the side of the house but don't know if this will help the soil or not - or do you have to do the complete compost bin thing with layers of this and that. Can't hurt the soil but will it improve it? Anyone know the answer to this one?
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It's absolutely fine to dig a hole and put mush straight into it. Then cover it with a layer of soil and you're ready for the next layer of mush. It's called 'trench composting' and is traditionally done over winter, ready for spring planting of beans or any other hungry veg which also need a lot of water. The layer of soil is mainly to help it to break down quicker, but also to stop it smelling yucky (I believe that's the technical term :D )
You would want to leave it to break down at least a little bit before planting into it, or else it will be competing with the plants for nitrogen. It could also get a bit too hot and scorch the seedling. Leaving it for a couple of weeks before putting a plant in should be fine.
Otherwise, throw it onto a heap. I know you're supposed to do it in layers, but to be honest, so long as there's a mix of 'green' (plant waste, veg peelings, grass clippings, etc) and 'browns' (leaves, shredded wood, torn up paper, etc) it's absolutely fine. The golden rule, of course, is to 'turn it' or mix it up in some way once a month, so that plenty of air gets in. Also, keep it covered so that the heat is maintained. That way it composts quickly, without yucky smells, and kills the majority if not all of weed seeds, and any disease or nasties generally that were lurking around due to the heat generated.
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Trench composting sounds the easiest to me! I will eventually plant my herbs in that patch but I'm in no hurry to use it immediately so I will continue to bury everything and see how the soil changes over the next few months. My daughter has just bought 3 guinea pigs for her children so I guess I can ask her to bag up the hay/manure mix when she cleans the cage out and put that in there too or would the droppings be no good for the soil.
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, and kills the majority if not all of weed seeds, and any disease or nasties generally that were lurking around due to the heat generated.
That is, the heat kills them, not that they're lurking around because of the heat ;D
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I can see where you are coming from with the mush in the TM bowl - it looks absolutely disgusting and I tend to want to wash the bowl a lot longer than if it was normal cooking. Silly really, it is just peelings I'm putting in there with a bit of water to help it mush up.
You could actually use a lot of the scraps in making stock - carrot/veg peel,etc - if you have a big pot sitting on the slow combustion stove in the cold months. But my other half is exactly the same when I blend bits for compost. LOL. Really makes her ill looking at the mush ;D ;D ;D
I just tip it into a barren piece of soil I have around the side of the house but don't know if this will help the soil or not - or do you have to do the complete compost bin thing with layers of this and that. Can't hurt the soil but will it improve it? Anyone know the answer to this one?
As Caroline says - it is beneficial. Any veg matter added to the soil helps it. We have a client who has turned hard clay soil in his backyard into the most friable, healthy soil by just doing very basic composting. It is hard to believe just how rich his soil is compared to the neighbour. Composting is good for larger chunks to help it break down. You almost don't need a compost bin and if you are composting, then it is nest not to have it too wet - air needs to circulate to help with the bugs breaking it down.
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We have a client
what do you do thermomix-er?
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We have a client
what do you do thermomix-er?
I am a vet and he has dogs - nothing sinister !!! and no, I'm not on the game !!!
He loves cooking and growing vegies and herbs. When I went round last year to get some pineapple sage for a friend I was blown away by his yard.
Professional chefs would have a field day with his garden - only a suburban yard, but the variety of veg and herbs !!!
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I had to check out where you lived Thermomix-er when I read your reference to the slow combustion stove - felt sure you must have been from overseas somewhere. No, Melbourne. That was a surprise. Don't know too many people here with one of those cookers. My, you have been a busy boy today!
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wow, a vet! i would never have guessed!!! (seriously, not a clue lol)
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wow, a vet! i would never have guessed!!! (seriously, not a clue lol)
LOL - strange, yes - & I don't use the leftovers from surgery. ;) ;) ;)
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I had to check out where you lived Thermomix-er when I read your reference to the slow combustion stove - felt sure you must have been from overseas somewhere. No, Melbourne. That was a surprise. Don't know too many people here with one of those cookers.
That was in a house that we had in the country and it really was superb for stocks, casseroles, etc during the winter. Slow roasting also was great.
My, you have been a busy boy today!
Finally catching up with all the posts. ;)
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Whatever you do - don't put corn husks and silk into the TM31! The husks wrap around the blades and stop operation.
Cheers,
K3
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Thanks Karen - haven't tried them - so will watch out for similar nasties.
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Must report that the soil where I have been burying the blitzed vegie scraps is looking good. I even advised a friend who hasn't got a TMX to chop her scraps up in her food processor and she was wrapped with this idea instead of waiting so long for them to break down. She is from Brisbane and is coming down to stay with us in June - wonder if I will impress her enough with my TMX for her to go home and buy one for herself!
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I had to check out where you lived Thermomix-er when I read your reference to the slow combustion stove - felt sure you must have been from overseas somewhere. No, Melbourne. That was a surprise. Don't know too many people here with one of those cookers.
That was in a house that we had in the country and it really was superb for stocks, casseroles, etc during the winter. Slow roasting also was great.
My, you have been a busy boy today!
Finally catching up with all the posts. ;)
Judy, I live in Balhannah, in the Adelaide hills. We have been here for 6 years and the very first thing I did when we moved in was to put in a slow-combustion wood stove! We use it in the winter and it usually burns from late April/May until Septemberish. I do most winter cooking on it and love everything about it - except the mess from wood and ash!!
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You certainly need one up there Amanda. Love the idea of heating the house and cooking at the same time. I envy you.
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[... the very first thing I did when we moved in was to put in a slow-combustion wood stove! We use it in the winter and it usually burns from late April/May until Septemberish. I do most winter cooking on it and love everything about it - except the mess from wood and ash!!
I don't know if you have this over there, but I use recycled logs made out of compressed sawdust. They heat 35% more than regular logs per volume, and make virtually no ash. They also release 58% less polluting particles in the air, so all around good stuff.
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I used Tuffy, my TMX to shred a bunch of veggie/fruit scraps for my worm-composting bin.
My regular compost system is full of leaves and the last of the trimmings from the garden and will be cooking, but obviously a bit slower in the colder weather.
The soil here is very sandy (Mojave desert) and alkaline and since I moved here 21 years ago, I have been amending the soil to the point that anything grows here. Even some things that I was told would NOT grow here. I have two very hardy laurel nobilis tree/bushes - I use a lot of sweet bay leaves. They were protected during the winter the first four or five years but no longer.
The worm composting system is much more compact and I use the castings mostly for potting, seed sprouting, etc. It's in a very well insulated bin to protect the worms when temps get well below freezing.
The area where I live does have seasons. (Mostly hot and cold.) At 3000 ft elevation, we do get some snow, the lowest temp I personally have experienced here is 2° F. (- 16 C.) a wee bit chilly. The really old, old timers tell about the winter of 1959 when it got so cold the Joshua trees virtually exploded and then collapsed when the temps rose. (There is much argument about the exact temp but it was at least 12 below zero (Fahrenheit) and very windy. Some of the story tellers swear that it was 20 below and also that boiling water, poured from a first floor window would freeze before it hit the ground.) Personally, I think these are tall tales. :D :D
Anyway, Tuffy did a great job on pulverizing my scraps. I usually use the Vita-Mix but since Tuffy was handy, it got the job.
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How does the Vita-Mix compare with the TMX for blitzing things? Does it produce the same fineness of powder with nuts/chickpea flour etc?
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How does the Vita-Mix compare with the TMX for blitzing things? Does it produce the same fineness of powder with nuts/chickpea flour etc?
The Vita-Mix I have came with an alternate container (64 ounce) exclusively for dry grinding - the blades are different. It will grind grains, nuts, dried peas to a fine flour. However the volume is limited - it can only handle so much so one needs to do several small batches.
This is the reason I bought my Nutrimill a few years ago.
I use the wet container for grinding table scraps - and nuts have to be in that container to produce nut butters. It is more difficult to get pastes and such out of the Vita-Mix because of the narrow bottom of the container.
Another reason that I bought the TMX is for making mustard. I have been making my own for many years (homegrown as it grows like a week here and I can get 3 crops during the growing season) and used the Vita-Mix, again, having to do small batches at a time.
Sometimes I use the Nutrimill to grind the mustard seeds into flour but that has to be done outside, preferably with a little wind to blow away the fine dust that escapes from the mill. Otherwise it is very hard on the sinuses. :D
It is possible to "cook" with the Vita-Mix and I have often used it to make soups, it is the speed of the blades that heats the mixture, not an integral heating unit.
I've owned Vita-Mix for more than thirty years and still have the first one - It has a stainless steel container - can't see what's happening inside, but the motor is powerful enough to still perform almost every task required. (It gets hauled out for parties where guests want to make their own drinks!)
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Sometimes I use the Nutrimill to grind the mustard seeds into flour but that has to be done outside, preferably with a little wind to blow away the fine dust that escapes from the mill. Otherwise it is very hard on the sinuses. :D
Thought that it may help clean the sinuses ? ;) ;D
.... but the motor is powerful enough to still perform almost every task required. (It gets hauled out for parties where guests want to make their own drinks!)
Very thoughtful !!
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[
Sometimes I use the Nutrimill to grind the mustard seeds into flour but that has to be done outside, preferably with a little wind to blow away the fine dust that escapes from the mill. Otherwise it is very hard on the sinuses. :D
]
Do you have a mustard recipe to share andiesenji?
Gretchen
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I have a mustard recipe but it's not yet converted to the TMX - it is in US measurements. At the following link.
In fact, you might find this link helpful as there are other recipes in addition to mine
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/45451-making-your-own-condiments-mustard-others/page__p__637986__hl__condiments__fromsearch__1&#entry637986
There are three pages and include recipes for banana ketchup, mushroom ketchup, sugar-free ketchup
Also there is this link. I was half of a team that conducted a "class" on that forum:
There are photos that have been dropped from the first one.
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/69129-basic-condiments/page__p__944489__hl__condiments__fromsearch__1&#entry944489
And here is a link to the recipe and instructions for Duxelles.
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/59052-duxelles-a-photo-essay/
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How wonderful. Thank you.
Gretchen
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Just digging up an old post. I brought my very first compost bin today (and am very excited, sad really). It is on a stand and you can spin it. I am going to shred up alot of paper work to get it going and then start adding food scraps etc. I have read about adding brown and green etc. Anything else i should know?
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Just digging up an old post. I brought my very first compost bin today (and am very excited, sad really). It is on a stand and you can spin it. I am going to shred up alot of paper work to get it going and then start adding food scraps etc. I have read about adding brown and green etc. Anything else i should know?
Add egg shells but not whole eggs, no meats or cheese (I have added dry grated cheese that has lost its flavor but no "wet" cheeses)
Chop whole veg - don't throw in an entire head of lettuce - I have a utility table with a cutting board out next to the composter so I can do that outside (in good weather) saves some mess in the kitchen.
!!! Do remember to bring your good knives inside or buy a cheapie one for outside!!! I can show you a very large chef's knife that suffered from being left outside, under a piece of cloth, for a month. Not a pretty sight.
There are numerous online sites that give excellent advice about composting. I do both regular composting and worm composting and the latter gets coffee grounds and tea leaves, as the worms seem to really appreciate these.
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I kept my old food processor to mince up scraps for my worm farms. Like someone who posted above, I don't like the thought of using the thermomix for worm fodder. Irrartional, bet there it is...
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Coffee grounds are great in any compost or straight onto the garden - I haven't actually seen this, but I am told that slugs and snails either do not like to or will not cross coffee grounds!
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Fantastic, i can use coffee grounds instead of buying snail pellets.
Thank you
H ;D
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I have 3 Bokashi bins, in which you put all of your kitchen waste, then a layer of fermented grains, sort of pickles the mixture. I then leave for 3 weeks, hence the 3 bins, after 3 weeks I empty the first bin into a trench in the garden, cover with a layer of soil and in 3 weeks it has all been eaten up by microbes. My very sandy soil in Fairview Park, SA has slowly been transformed. :-*
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Coffee grounds are great in any compost or straight onto the garden - I haven't actually seen this, but I am told that slugs and snails either do not like to or will not cross coffee grounds!
The slugs and snails actually loooove coffee grounds. :o That is the good thing about it. ;D
They are so attracted they eat it and the caffeine speeds up their little hearts to the point they have heart attacks and die..
We used it in Adelaide where we had a real problem with snails. And we had a couple friends who owned coffee shops who were very happy to give us the used grounds each week. A real eco friendly solution. And if you use the grounds while fresh the garden smells nice.
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I have 3 Bokashi bins, in which you put all of your kitchen waste, then a layer of fermented grains, sort of pickles the mixture. I then leave for 3 weeks, hence the 3 bins, after 3 weeks I empty the first bin into a trench in the garden, cover with a layer of soil and in 3 weeks it has all been eaten up by microbes. My very sandy soil in Fairview Park, SA has slowly been transformed. :-*
I love my bokashi bins as well, they just take ages to get full enough to dig in!
We're only three people in the household, although we eat a LOT of veg. However up until very recently we had 4-5 chickens so most of our scraps went to them or into the worm farm. The bokashi only receives stuff the worms and chooks won't eat - onion, citrus, meats.
I've always blitzed my worm feed in a blender, before I had the tmx. I don't have any problem putting it in there, it all gets washed!
Hehehe, when our neighbour found out we no longer had chickens she asked if I would mind giving my kitchen scraps to her chooks now! It's not a problem, I hate wasting the scraps (we're about to move interstate so no worms, chickens or bokashi) and she gives me eggs. Win-Win!
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Bigger scraps to chooks and I thermomix sad looking vegies for my worms as they don't have any teeth and what's left over goes to compost- nothing goes to waste