Have you ever discovered a technique that makes you feel like a genius even though you didn’t create it? Or at least, once you start doing it and realize how much easier it makes your life, you ask yourself why you didn’t start doing it earlier? I have!

I know freezing your food scraps for composting isn’t anything new, but I started doing it this year and every time I put another banana peel or cucumber end or apple core into the grocery bag in my freezer, I feel like I’m somehow beating the system.

My compost bin is nothing fancy. The top is hard to get off. Although, raccoons figured it out, prompting me to keep a big ol’ rock on it. Worse, it’s at the bottom of what I call our “canyon,” which is at the back of our backyard.

This picture is deceiving. It’s a steep hill and such a pain to walk down just to deposit an apple core. Not too mention mosquitoes and the possibility of snakes (I’ve seen one before). I don’t like going down there. And, I’ve done the counter-top compost container to hold scraps. Blech. As if I need a pot of mold sitting on my counter.

I am a lazy composter. I don’t bother with making sure my ratios are right–adding enough “brown stuff.” And, I rarely turn it. I let Ricky Raccoon and his family do that. See, they chewed through a vent near the bottom and every time I add, they come along and scoop whatever their creepy little paws can out of it.

I feel like I’m somewhat co-existing with these creatures. Because they get compost scraps, they don’t come up the canyon. (Although, we had a teen-aged raccoon in our garbage can twice this summer, prompting us to put a big ol’ rock on top of THAT.) They end up “mixing” my compost because when I make my journeys down the canyon, I’m always sure to use a shovel to scoop up all the debris they’ve scattered.

Anyway, because I’m now freezing my food scraps, I only head down to the bin once a week. Maybe every week and a half. It’s wonderful! Why didn’t I do this sooner?!