Topic: How do I make Fish Blood and Bone

[Dirty Digger]

Hi fellow gardeners.

I'm new to this forum so forgive me if i'm going over old ground ('scuse the pun), however, I couldn't find any relevant info in my search.

The title of this thread says it all....How do I make Fish, Blood and Bone. It's a seemingly simple question, however, I would like to know the pitfalls as well as any methods someone may be able to impart.

Like most carnivores, I tend to throw away the bones from any meat I buy, so would like to use them in the garden, seeing as they are a good source of nutrient that would otherwise go to landfill.

Your help would be most appreciated.

[Robert_Brenchley]

You'd need something pretty hefty to gring the bones up into bonemeal. I don't know whether there's any effective way to turn them into fertiliser. Whole bones will just sit in the soil indefinitely, uness you have very strange soil conditions indeed.

If you pressure-cook them long enough, you get liquid which is thick with gelatin and juices - excellent soup base - and the bones go crumbly. That might be one way.

[Tee Gee]

As Robert says you will require a hefty crusher.

The only place I have ever come across one is in a crematorium!

As I recall the mix is made as follows;

Fish; Is the remains that are pulverised after filleting.

Blood; Is abotoir blood that has been drained from animals and dried, or mixed with a powder matrix e.g. lime

The bone; is as you have guessed;

It is animal bones that have been pulverised

So unless you have access to a pulverisor/crusher I would just leave it to the fertiliser producers.

[Dirty Digger]

thanks for the swift replies....i realise that large firms have all the equipment already but i'd still like to see if I can do something similar myself.

Do you have any knowledge on ratios?

Also, I suppose you have to clean the bones before use, so I suppose boiling would be the most obvious way to do this.

The one thing that i'm unsure of is, does boiling not turn bone into glue? Would this not be bad for soil?

[chriscross1966]

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+ big hammer

[caroline7758]

At this price I hardly thinkit's worth it!

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Fertilisers/Wilko-Fish-Blood-And-Bone-15kg/invt/0274757?htxt=vyMTQiKtwuW2cgX2kiifgHXCBhBIbRFEHE2KINsmFE%2FPbuVQmxd2q4a5pYeRsQ8XNymqvEaLDqa%2B%0AbK8Bwd73cA%3D%3D

[Robert_Brenchley]

The glue is basically gelatine. It's protein,and it rots. Or you can turn it into soup.

[Dirty Digger]

At this price I hardly thinkit's worth it!

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Fertilisers/Wilko-Fish-Blood-And-Bone-15kg/invt/0274757?htxt=vyMTQiKtwuW2cgX2kiifgHXCBhBIbRFEHE2KINsmFE%2FPbuVQmxd2q4a5pYeRsQ8XNymqvEaLDqa%2B%0AbK8Bwd73cA%3D%3D

My interest isn't affected by price, I actually want to know ratios and preparation methods and any pitfalls I may come into. I would like to recycle all my old food bones etc, rather than send them to landfill.

If anyone has any other information I may find useful, how about posting that instead of stating the obvious.

Tee Gee and Robert Brenchley's answers were at least educational and i'm sure there's yet more to learn.

[Digeroo]

Welcome Dirty Digger to the forum. I suppose that it frustrating to through away something of value.  Our bones go to recycling they are collected in a separate food bin. 

I managed to get a 25kg bag for £10 from a horticultural supplier.  I also think that a pressure cooker might sort out the bones, but where are you going to get the blood from? 

[grannyjanny]

I have a Bokashi composter & you can put bones in that & they rot down in the compost bin.

[Dirty Digger]

Welcome Dirty Digger to the forum. I suppose that it frustrating to through away something of value.  Our bones go to recycling they are collected in a separate food bin. 

I managed to get a 25kg bag for £10 from a horticultural supplier.  I also think that a pressure cooker might sort out the bones, but where are you going to get the blood from? 

Someone has already suggested an abbotoir, which is obviously going to prove to be the easiest source, seeing as I don't have any of my own animals to slaughter (other than the neighbours cats....and i'm not that cruel).

So I suppose i'd like to know if there are any preferred ratios or indeed other knowledge that someone has on the subject.

It seems that other than stating the obvious, not too many people have clear insights into what makes good fish blood and bone.

[Dirty Digger]

I have a Bokashi composter & you can put bones in that & they rot down in the compost bin.

Now I like the idea of the Bokashi composter, though I still want to make my own blood fish and bone, however, this would be brilliant for everything else you can't throw in the compost bin.

Actually, just looked at the price of the wheat bran stuff that is needed for the Bokashi composter....£23 for 4 kg.....admittedly it's 4 months worth or thereabouts but seeing as my main aim is to save money, it's definitely not for me.

[jazzman2]

well done crisscross lmao but my grand daughter didn't like what you were suggesting for nemo

[tonybloke]

I don't think you will be able to purchase the blood. ;)

[Robert_Brenchley]

You could use dried blood.

[lottie lou]

I read instructions on how to make bokashi starter on the internet somewhere.  It used rice water and skimmed milk.

[teresa]

You could get road kill animals, I use to get a rabbit each year to feed my grape vine worked wonders got lovely fruit.

[james1]

Dirty digger am getting a little worried.
are you married by any chance. You do seem determined to make your own. ;D
LOL Only kidding good luck in your quest.........

[gordonsveg]

You dont its safer,easier,and more hygenic to buy it.

[goodlife]

Ok..here is some info...

Bone meal; commonest way prosessing animal bones for bone meal is to "steam them to remove fat and to sterilize. The bones are crushed to a fine powder. Unsterilized bone meal is alleged to carry a health risk and is not as effective as the sterilised product."
Dried Blood; "A waste product from slaughter houses it is consentrated by a drying process at moderate temperatures leaving a familiar backish red product."
Fish meal; "produced from fish waste and other sources of fish which are unsuitable for human consumption."

as how to actually make it in home environment...well let me dig in to my library and get back to it..some old books may have some recipies..
..but be prepared to be homeless.. ;)you are going to make stink.....