Thanksgiving is a time of togetherness and gratitude. It is an opportunity for us to be thankful for the people and things we have in our lives. It is also a time for feasting on delicious and seasonal foods. But if you are trying to have a more sustainable Thanksgiving, you might wonder what to do with all those leftovers. Of course, you can make delicious Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches and other creative recipes, but eventually, you are going to have to toss some of those leftovers. Instead of simply tossing them into the landfill to rot, you can throw them in your Lomi to be composted and create nutrient-rich dirt for your plants.
Here’s a look at what we’ll be talking about, in case you need to jump ahead.
Table of contents
Let’s look at 9 popular Thanksgiving foods and how you can compost them using your Lomi electric composter.
9 Thanksgiving leftover foods that can go into Lomi
Unfortunately, not all food waste can be composted in Lomi or a traditional compost pile. Foods like butter and cooking oil, for example, can’t be put in your Lomi. We have a list of things that can go into Lomi if you are looking for something that is not on this list. The items on this list should be broken down using the Lomi Eco Express or Lomi approved mode and not Grow mode like you would with raw food scraps, coffee grounds, or eggshells. Now let’s get into the delicious foods that can go into your Lomi and be broken down into food for your plants.
#1. Roast Turkey
Usually, you are told that composting meat is a no-no, but it is possible with Lomi. While you can’t throw the whole bird in, you can add in some of the meat and smaller bones. And if you don't want to throw away the larger bones, try making a stock or some delicious bone broth.
PRO TIP: Add a few small, soft bones and meat scrapings to your Lomi Eco Express mode for them to properly break down.
#2. Stuffing
Stuffing (or dressing depending on where you’re from) is a delicious side dish during the holidays, but can it be composted? Well since it is usually made of chopped-up bread, it can. Just don’t toss a lot at one time into Lomi.
PRO TIP: Avoid using stuffing that contains a lot of butter or oil. This can gunk up the machine and create strangely textured dirt.
#3. Mashed potatoes
If you somehow don’t gobble up all those delicious mashed potatoes, don’t worry. They can also go into Lomi. Just like with the stuffing, don’t use mashed potatoes that contain a lot of butter or dairy to avoid unwanted dirt texture and possible damage to the machine.
PRO TIP: Be sure to use only a small amount of mashed potatoes at a time and mix with raw fruit and vegetable scraps to achieve the proper texture and nutrient content in your Lomi dirt.
#4. Gravy
What are potatoes on Thanksgiving without good-ole gravy? Depending on the type of gravy you are using (from a jar or using a rue) you can add this to your compost in small amounts.
PRO TIP: Don’t add a lot of gravy to your cycle and make sure it isn’t too watery. You should never add liquids to Lomi.
#5. Green beans
It’s always nice to balance out decadent Thanksgiving foods with some green veggies. Green beans are a nice side to have on your plate and cooked veggies are a great addition to your Lomi dirt. Just be sure to balance your cooked green beans with raw food scraps.
PRO TIP: Make sure your green beans are not coated in a lot of butter or cooking oil. You can rinse them under water before adding them to Lomi to remove these oils.
#6. Corn
Corn, whether on the cob or in the can, can be composted using Lomi. Even creamed corn (from the can) can be tossed into Lomi. Just be sure to rinse any butter off before adding it to your basket.
PRO TIP: If you are adding in corn cobs, be sure to chop them up into smaller pieces to ensure they break down properly. You can even toss in torn-up corn husk in small (½ cup or less) amounts.
#7. Dinner rolls
Who doesn’t love a delicious dinner roll with butter along with their Thanksgiving dinner? Dinner rolls, like most bread products, can be composted using Lomi. Like most things on this list, make sure it doesn’t have a bunch of butter on it before adding it.
PRO TIP: Stale bread works best for composting. Also, be sure to tear your bread up into small pieces before adding it to your Lomi basket.
#8. Cranberry sauce
Cranberry sauce, whether you make it from scratch or buy it in a can, can be added to your Lomi. This delicious, tart side dish should be added in small amounts though, to avoid messing with the machine and the texture of your dirt.
PRO TIP: Be sure to drain off any excess liquid before adding your cranberry sauce to the Lomi basket.
#9. Pumpkin pie
Is it really Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie? This traditional holiday dessert is often gobbled up quickly. If you find yourself with some leftover pie, you can certainly add some to your electric composter.
PRO TIP: Like most sweet treats, limit the amount of pumpkin pie you add to each batch. Be sure to add plenty of fresh vegetable and fruit scraps along with your pie leftovers.
Top 5 mistakes to avoid when composting Thanksgiving leftovers with Lomi
Just like any form of composting, you can run into some issues when it comes to composting your Thanksgiving leftovers. Be sure to check out the dos and don’ts of Lomi before you get started. Here are the top 5 mistakes you might run into with your holiday leftovers and how to avoid them.
- Adding too much/only cooked food: To make nutrient-rich fertilizer for your plants, you need to have a good balance of cooked and raw food scraps. This ensures a proper balance of nutrients and that Lomi can run properly.
- Not cutting up food small enough: In order for food waste to properly break down in Lomi, you should be chopping up your food pieces. This ensures no blockages and you are left with the proper texture of Lomi dirt.
- Adding in large bones: Small, soft bones can be broken down by Lomi, but large bones cannot. You run the risk of blockages with larger bones, so best to toss those in your compost pile if you have one.
- Adding too much sugary food waste: Just like a healthy diet, too much sugary food can be a bad thing. Make sure you balance out your sugary food waste with fresh fruits and veggies.
- Letting scraps sit inside Lomi for too long: Even with the carbon filter inside Lomi, you still run the risk of odors when opening the lid if you let food sit too long. We don’t recommend letting scraps sit for more than 2 days.
The holidays are a time to spend with loved ones, not in the kitchen worrying about composting your meal’s leftovers. Make composting quick and easy with a Lomi electric composter so you can get back to the people you care about. Users love how much time and effort Lomi saves them when it comes to composting. No matter what dishes you make at your gathering, you now know what leftovers to toss in your Lomi machine.
Written by: Sarah Kendal