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Soil, Compost & Mulch

Cooking Oil in Composter

17 years ago

Any benefit/harm to putting less than 2 cups of used, cooled, canola frying oil in the composter on an in frequent basis? I have a 4ft3 bin. I put table scraps including meat, chicken and fish in there with no problem from critters or vermin.

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Comments (11)

donn_
17 years ago
Here's a better use:
Gravel and oil in a hole,
Cleans your garden tools.
jeannie7
17 years ago
Yes, Donn has a point, the oil could be used that way.
To clean tools though, it is usually done by adding oil...any kind of oil...but old, used auto oil is the most often used....put into and through a bucket of sand.
Then just dip the tools into it, the oil gives a film of protection and the sand cleans the old dry stuff off.

But, as long as you bury the stuff into your compost pile good, then there is no need not to do that.
When hubby goes fishing,...he's a good fisherman...he cleans and filets the fish good, the carcasses go right into the compost and is buried well.

I've found the only thing that I purposely leave out is twigs...branches and such because it takes too long to break down.
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Composting is a bit of an art and can become an obsession! Putting cooked food in compost is ok for making good compost, but it encourages rats, so best not to. To achieve the best compost have layers of green and brown. Green being plants e.g. weeds, grass cuttings (soft plants) and brown being chopped up brambles & other hard stemmed plants, and shredded paper & cardboard but not too much per layer. Scrap uncooked food from the kitchen can be classed as either the green or the brown layer, but if that's all you ever put in the compost you'll end up with slime. Aim for crumbly dark brown earth like substance which feels clean in your hands and clean to smell. Each time you add a layer give it a watering, don't let it dry out completely. Turn the compost e.g. turn it with a shovel or lift it out and into another bin, every few months. Leave for at least 6-12 months before using. Have a few bins on 3 month availability if you have the space for them, so you always have enough. And remember, compost needs insects working away in it, so stand your compost bin on top of earth not concrete or tiles and don't disturb it too much until you need to turn it.
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"What I have objection to is that manure you are adding. There are a lot of questions about adding manure to compost piles that may be used in the not too distant future." NO, there is NOT! The danger of raw, uncomposted manure is putting it directly around food plants that may be contaminated by the bacteria it contains, especially food plants that won't be cooked, like salad ingredients. Like it or not, all manure contains bacteria. The particular danger is E. coli O157:H7, which is mostly found in the intestines of high-density feedlot cattle. But, since your manure usually doesn't come with a pedigree, it is safest not to use RAW MANURE around food plants. "Horse, cow and sheep manures come in very good for nutritious sides but because it tends to be "hot" when fresh, it is suggested to be allowed to age. Here's the rub though.....I suggest a year at least for such manure to be let alone in its own pile before putting to use. In that time, the harmful bacteria is lost and it can be safely used in gardens and add much to composts." ALL pathogens in a compost pile are killed if the compost reaches and holds a temperature of 150F for a minimum of ONE HOUR. It doesn't matter what kind of manure it is, they all die. Ageing manure is a matter of reducing the heat from natural composting so it doesn't burn the plants. Fresh manure contains a lot of nitrogen and ammonia, which plants can't handle until it is broken down. But ageing the manure without composting it, is a waste of valuable nitrogen. Adding fresh manure to your composting materials doesn't hurt a thing and the nitrogen it contains helps to break down the carbon materials and raise the temperature. Sue
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I put cooked food into my worm bins all the time (indoor bins), as well as into my outdoor composting bins. I don't see much of a difference between cooked and raw foods. Either way, I make sure to bury the food beneath a couple inches of bedding, and I try to avoid too much fat, dairy, or meat. I often scrape plates right into the worm bin. A tablespoon of mac-and-cheese, a few french fries, or a left-over bite of hamburger will go into my bin, but NOT a pile of greasy fries or 2 cups of used cooking oil, NOT an entire left-over hamburger, and not a whole jar of out-of-date tartar sauce. The smaller and mushier the pieces, the sooner the worms can break them down. In my experience, everything rots. The goal is to make them available to bacteria/mold/worms, but not flies or other pests. Emily in snowy Fairbanks
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I don't have a container recommendation (but I love the look of the rachel ray one above!), but do have an idea for what to keep them on. My spilly/drippy stuff (balsamic vinegar, olive oil, etc) sits in the cupboard, but on a flat square plate. That way it all sits flat and is still easy to grab out and put back, and when the plate gets a bit grungy I can just put it in the dishwasher. I bought two plates so I can switch them out easily. I was just looking on the internet to see if I could find a picture, and came across this one from pier one which might be perfect for you. The "olio d'oliva" one that is: flat plate from pier one. Here is ours (the olive oil is behind the vinegar and vitamin d ... geez I guess i'm more of a cooking spray than cook from scratch gal these days ... lol, busted!)
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Kimmsr
17 years ago
Cooking oils are fats and fats are difficult for the bacteria in your compost pile to digest. As a general rule of thumb meats, fats and dairy products should not be composted because they are difficult for bacteria to digest. In small quantities on occassion adding some might not be too much of a problem, but adding relatively large volumes fairly regularly could be.
ant3eye
17 years ago
I compost the oil from my Turkey Fryer after Thanksgiving. But I agree that it's not something that you should do regularly. And my compost bins are each 4'x8' and filled to about 4'-5' high. I wouldn't do it if the bins were empty. With all those leaves and other things it hardly makes a dent.

So I don't feel too concerned about putting 2.5 gallons of oil in each bin once a year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Composting Oil
happyday
17 years ago
If I needed to dispose of a vegetable oil, I'd use it as a fire accelerant on a burn pile of seedy weeds, tomato vines, and anything else I'd rather burn than compost, and make some nice potash.

Just dont burn any poison ivy.
lou_spicewood_tx
17 years ago
Hmm coconut oil. They taste great and have very unique kind of fat. They are the ONLY plant that can manufacture saturated fat or more specifically medium chain triglycerides (MCT). They get used for energy rather quickly in the human body. Very healthy stuff. High in lauric acid. Breast milk is the only thing that has naturally high amount of lauric acid. Keeps baby healthy.

Vegetable oil (soybean, corn, etc) are way worse for your health because of high amount of polyunsaturated fat, specifically omega 6. Waaaaay tooo much omega 6 that we don't need. Olive oil is much better alternative....

I guess I went way off topic but oh well.
Lloyd
17 years ago
My large tumbler used to be a diesel fuel tank and there was some residual fuel left in it when I made the experimental batch. The microbes seemed to eat that fuel up with not even a burp. Canola is just a plant so I would have no problem giving it a try. I seem to recall articles about compost being used for a soil reclamation process dealing with spilled motor oil. It's like it's a super wonder substance. :-) How can you not love compost?

Lloyd
PKponder TX Z7B
17 years ago
I like donn's idea of using the leftover peanut oil from my hubby's turkey fryer as a tool cleaner. We always used the old motor oil in the past, but could not just dig a hole and pour the sand/oil mix in because it was not a food product.

Pam
renais
17 years ago
I throw all of our kitchen waste in the worm compost bin, and don't have problems with decomposition. I just pour used oil over everything when we have it, and it is quickly consumed by the various critters. Meat and fat scraps that are buried decompose quickly; those left on the surface can be a breeding point for flys. Meat scraps are an excellent source of nitrogen for the pile.

Renais
shrubs_n_bulbs
17 years ago
Cooking oils are fats and fats are difficult for the bacteria in your compost pile to digest.

Actually, its the exact opposite. Fats, oils, and meats are extremely easy to digest. Too easy! They are far too rich a source of nitrogen, will create rancid anaerobic conditions if buried, or attract larger vermin if not buried.

Mixed well with suitable low-nitrogen material they will quickly compost without a problem. Watch out for critters that might be attracted to your pile. And be aware of potential diseases that may be passed from some raw meats through to vegetable crops, I would suggest only using for ornamentals unless you really know what you're doing.
zachslc
17 years ago
oil in the compost
serves not a useful prupose
for decomposing

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