Bokashi is based on an ancient Japanese practice that ferments food waste by covering it with a mix of microorganisms that suppress its smell and eventually produce soil. Advocates say the key advantage of bokashi, if done correctly, is that the microorganisms involved don't produce foul odors as they break down the food.
Bokashi traces back centuries to Japanese farmers who covered food scraps in their rich, regional soil, which contained microorganisms that would ferment the food. After a few weeks, they'd bury the waste. Two or three weeks later, it was soil.
So people can toss in meat, and even small amounts of dairy and oils, unlike in other composting methods. That eliminates much of the waste sorting that can make composting impractical for a larger food establishment. And the treated food won't turn stomachs or attract pests.
Bokashi is the totally natural way to reduce, reuse and recycle organic waste. Bokashi is 100% natural. It is safe for you, safe for your pets, and safe for the environment. Bokashi fermenting helps reduce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane and bad smells like hydrogen sulfide and ammonia invariably associated with scrap composting. It is also much faster at breaking down your food scraps. Fermenting your scraps is a lot like making wine.
Oxygen is the enemy causing a rotting smell. In the system, the lack of oxygen and the relatively low acidity prevent the organisms that produce gas and smells from forming, and any that were present will not be able to survive. They will be consumed by the anaerobic organisms that thrive when oxygen is absent.
To make 10 pounds of Bokashi, dissolve 60 ml of molasses in 2.5 liters of water. Add 60 ml of EM microbes. Put 4.5 kg of bran in a container big enough to hold it. Add the liquid and stir it up well with your hands. The mixture should be damp enough to hold together when you squeeze it into a ball but not so wet liquid is dripping from it. Adjust the moisture by adding either a bit more liquid or more bran.
Put the damp bran into an airtight container.A dark garbage bag in fine. Squeeze out all the air and fasten the top securely. Let it sit in a warm place out of the way for a minimum of two weeks. It's okay to leave it longer.
There may be some white mold on the fermented bran at the end of the two weeks. This is good. If however the mold is black or green it means either some air got in or the material was too wet.
For storing long term dry the bran well. Ten pounds of bokashi would last the average family 6-10 months. Properly dried it can be stored for several years. Store in an airtight container out of direct light.