If it's just the cooked grain/seed/bean, absolutely. If it has been amended/sauced, then it would depend upon your willingness to include whatever has been added. Typical seasonings, herbs, spices are fine. The issues and questions would be animal products, including dairy, or fats added to the base products. Beans are the same, as is rice, pasta, etc.

As a general rule of thumb if you can eat the product you can compost it. I have not yet seen a recipe for Quinoa that requires enough oil that composting it might not be a good idea.

"As a general rule of thumb if you can eat the product you can compost it."

So kimm, are you an advocate of composting meats and dairy products too?

I've never had a problem with meats and fats in the compost. Just make sure to add plenty of browns to balance it out and absorb odors/ liquids. Placing carcasses in the middle of a pile designed to cook hot and fast will take care of it pretty well.

lazygardens - Yeah, I know. I know home composters that build big piles and incorporate animal stuff. I don't, and I generally think the average home composter isn't really prepared for it, but it is and can be done. If I did it, I'd have the coyotes all over my back yard, and probably rats too.

I'm really curious if kimmsr is an advocate for composting animal products at home.

This post was edited by TXEB on Tue, Jul 9, 13 at 21:45

Not necessarily. Meats and fats can be composted in small amounts in properly constructed operations, but common sense applies here. Do not try to compost a full grown steer in a 4 x 4 bin.

Darn it, I was about to try that. Now what am I going to do with this steer I just ran over?

Incidental meats and fats go right in at our house. Surburban back yard, possums and other critters are around, the bin is black plastic with a locking lid so no problems. We don't empty the Fry Daddy or chuck in gallons of milk at a time.

Observe and adjust is what I always say.

Composting animal stuff is pretty common in large municipal solid waste management these days. A number of home composters do it without any problems. In my location, with how I prefer use compost I decided to avoid all animal products. It's a personal decision, which goes to my original comment, "it would depend upon your willingness to include whatever has been added". The point is to think just a bit about what you're putting in your pile before you toss it in there.