OK, here is my opinion on the matter:

If you boiled your vegetables, but did not put either meat nor butter nor margarine in them, then you probably could put them safely in the compost pile.

However, meat, margarine, butter, or other animal fats could attract rodents or other four legged varmin to your compost pile, so I would not do it if any of that stuff was in the vegetable pot when you cooked those veggies.

That's the rule of thumb I use in my composting efforts.

I do it all the time without hesitation, but my compost pile is a pretty big one so they do not make up much of the total volume. The worms and microbes seem to like the menu. If I were composting in a 5 gallon bucked or a garbage can, I would think twice, I guess.
Bill P.

Does simple logic tell you that cooked vegetables can go into your compost? If so put them there. Why would it not be good to put cooked vegetables in compost? What confused logic did the writter of that article use to justify not putting cooked vegetables in compost?

I think the reason some people recommend agains putting cooked vegetables in the compost is because cooked vegetables usually have salt in them. Unless they make up most of the ingredients, I wouldn't worry about it. I live in an arid climate, where salinity can be an issue, but I wouldn't hesitate to put cooked vegetables in the compost.

When I have a hot compost pile going, I'll even add meat every once in a while. If I add meat, I always make sure it's in the center of the pile, and I only do it if the compost is really hot. Under the right conditions, in a few days, the meat is no longer recognizable.

How much salt are you cooking with???!!!!!

What happened to that link to the song "I can compost anything"? That was a funny song.

I compost cooked vegetables and the juice too. I don't worry about the salt, compost can buffer salt if you have enough compost in the soil. I am quite sure there is not nearly as much salt in food as there is in soil that used chemical fertilizers, and we know compost can buffer that...

Blutranes

"How much salt are you cooking with???!!!!!"

If you reread what I wrote, I think you'll see that I said that the salt was a reason I had seen given for not adding cooked vegetables to the compost, but that I add them to mine even though I live in an arid climate where salinity can be a problem.

Since the composting process breaks down vegetable matter by partially cooking it, it makes total sense to compost already cooked vegetables. Just don't add salt or fats to your recipes if you think you're going to have leftovers. The only reason not to use the other items I think has more to do with keeping varmints out of your garden.

If it was once living it can be composted. Period...end of discussion :-)) You DO realize that they even dispose of humans now by composting?

I repeat myself I think: almost all of the stuff that people think shouldn't go in a compost pile can, and can be helped a lot - and it covers up smells and discourages varmints - with some woody stuff on top. Leaves esp shredded, wood chips, sawdust.

That said, sure, sometimes living conditions (neighbours, varmints, neighbours who are varmints) don't fit well with composting some stuff. That's not the compost, that's us. Do what you can.

And there is no reason to worry about a normal amount of salt or butter in foods. It's not enough to hinder the composting process in any way, and it won't attract critters any more than unbuttered green beans would. Heck, if I set my kitchen bucket out and forget to empty it into the bin and cover it with leaves, the possums or coons will dig through it anyway. I don't need meat or dairy to attract varmints! Pasta Alfredo that's gone off? In the compost. Half a cup of taco filling that looks like a science project in the back of the fridge? Compost. Tortilla chips? Well I grind them up and add to suet blocks for the birds but they'd compost just fine.