Organic gardening hacks: How to make compost tea from kitchen waste

by Teresa Merelman, Broker 08/24/2022

If you’re interested in making your own sustainable plant fertilizer, it’s a great time to learn how to make compost tea from kitchen waste. Composting takes the organic waste from your daily life like eggshells, coffee grounds and grass clippings and breaks them down into their basic nutrients.

Having a compost pile or compost bin means you have a wealth of fertilizer available - but what if you could make your own fertilizer on a much smaller scale?

Tea recipe

While plenty of non-food items can be composted, you’ll get the most effective results making compost tea with the following types of food waste:

Banana peels.
Eggshells.
Coffee grounds.
Onion skins.
Miscellaneous veggie scraps like stems and wilted leaves.

Process

Add your kitchen scraps to a large glass jar or pitcher.
Fill the rest of the container with fresh water.
Cover the container loosely and let “steep” for three to five days.
Using a sieve or strainer, separate the liquid from the remaining compost matter.
To make the most of your kitchen waste, blend the remains in a food processor to create a “compost smoothie.” This can also be used in your garden when diluted with water.

Tips & tricks

Here are some more ideas and advice for brewing and using compost tea:

Place your compost scraps in a clean nylon stocking to make a DIY “tea bag.” When working with larger quantities, you can use a burlap sack.
Always dilute your freshly aerated compost tea with water before giving it to your plants. It’s best to use the ratio of one part tea to four parts water.
You can keep your finished compost tea in a sealed container for up to a week after brewing.

Now that you know how to brew compost tea, you can use your once-useless kitchen waste to improve soil structure and aid plant growth in your garden.

About the Author

Teresa Merelman, Broker

Teresa's beginnings were at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She was child #5 of 8 and born into an Air Force family that moved all over the United States but usually ended up back in the Washington, D.C. area. Teresa attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and received her bachelor's degree in business from George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia. Some of her prior careers include: computer buyer in Fairfax, Virginia; Deputy Clerk at the U.S. District Court in Denver, Colorado; Police Officer in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and Bed & Breakfast owner in Stowe, Vermont. Teresa obtained her license as a Realtor® in 1998. She has been through many ups and downs in this profession and continues to learn every day. She very much enjoys the real estate profession and the wonderful people she has met and assisted along the way. In order to serve her clients and customers, Teresa continually attends classes and seminars. Some of her Designations and Certifications include:

ABR - Accredited Buyer Representative (2003)
CBR - Certified Buyer Representative (2000)
e-PRO - Internet Certified Professional (2001)
CNHS - Certified New Home Specialist (2005)
CRS - Certified Residential Specialist (2005)
AHS - Accredited Home-Stager Specialist (2008)
TRC - Transaction Referral Certification (2009)
RSPS - Resort and Second Home Specialist (2009)
GREEN - NAR's Green Designation (2009)
SFR - Short Sales & Foreclosures Certification (2009)
SRES - Senior Real Estate Specialist Designation (2012)
AHWD - At Home With Diversity (2021)
SRS - Seller Representative Specialist (2021)

Teresa has also served and continues to serve on several boards:

Lamoille Area Board of Realtors - President and Board of Directors
Vermont Association of Realtors - Board of Directors
NEREN (MLS) - Board of Directors and Shareholder
Vermont Real Estate Commission - as a member of VAR's Liaison Committee
Stowe Vibrancy - Board of Directors - this is a volunteer group that promotes activities in the Village of Stowe

In 2007, Teresa was named Vermont Realtor of the Year.Teresa and her husband, a local attorney, moved to Stowe in 1987. They had two sons and Stowe has been their home for the past 36 years. She still feels the Stowe area is a wonderful place to raise a family, there's always something going on. Teresa can often be found behind the lens of her camera documenting the beauty of the area and its many events.As an update, Teresa's older son is now a Doctor/resident at the University of New Mexico's Emergency Management Program. Her younger son graduated from James Mason University and currently resides in Chicago, IL as a supervisor for OKTA.