My dad told me to freeze my scraps before adding them to the bin, and it was a game changer

When I first started with my little countertop bin in my 600 square foot Chicago apartment, I was just tossing stuff in as I cooked. My dad, who's gardened for years, saw my setup and said, 'You're gonna get fruit flies. Put those scraps in a bag in the freezer first.' I thought it was extra work, but after a week of tiny flies buzzing around my kitchen, I gave it a shot. I started keeping a gallon zip-top bag in the freezer door for coffee grounds, onion skins, and apple cores. It completely stopped the flies, and it also made the whole bin less soggy and smelly because the frozen stuff doesn't break down into mush right away. Now, adding to the freezer bag is just part of my routine. Has anyone else found that this helps keep the balance right in a small, closed system?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscar_hunt618d ago

Wait, you mean not everyone's freezer smells like old coffee and onion peels? I tried the freezer trick but forgot the bag for a week, so now my ice cubes taste like regret and carrot tops.

beth_baker698d ago

Lmao @oscar_hunt61, that's a whole mood. I read a thing once about how freezers absorb smells super easy, like a sponge. My mom stored fish sticks next to the ice cream once and we had minty cod cubes for months. Your regret-flavored ice sounds about right for that kind of life. Maybe we all just need a dedicated freezer for weird stuff.