Saturday, October 6, 2018

black walnut work

the new reality of blogger is that i can no longer make comments 
to you wonderful readers
so conversation is curtailed.
i will move the blog back to square space, where my website lives
because i hate all this confusion.
if feels like that strange phone call i got from the admin.
or the email that also came.
i call it lousy.
~~~
for all of you who read and comment and/or try to comment
bear with me as i try to make the switch again,
and leave the clunky blogger.
it may take a bit.
~~~
anyway,
here's a little tale of a warm, medium brown.
i had the gift from a black walnut tree from my neighbor Val.
this was a sweet thing because i really want to make stuff this fall.
as antidote to craziness.
 this big stock pot completely full
was filled with water (which barely covered it).
 i've seldom picked black walnuts,
i wait till they fall (usually the trees are huge).
this time they were all very, very green.
the citrus scent was fresh, lovely!
another neighbor and sometimes student of mine Regan 
and her granddaughter helped pick.
 it went fast
the tree was so generous and abundant with nuts.
 covered with my hard well water, set covererd on the stove, at full high heat.
(it takes a while to get up to heat)
but here's the pot after the first un-lidding and tiny stir
9not much room to stir)
 the scent intensified, 
a hot citrus dance.
 you can see the change.
 after stirring the pot-they start to darken.
i never saw this before
 duotone walnuts
 after an all day cook,
who knows how many hours-maybe 9?
 they were all dark and dye liquor was developing from the water.
 punctured hulls are beginning to fall away from the inner nut.
i stirred and chopped away a bit with the big spoon.
and then it cooled slowly,
 disintegrated more overnight.
 this morning I started the stove again and it's simmering away now
and smells of earthy, off-chocolate.
 much more "in pieces" than before.
on the way to becoming a colorant: 
ink and or dye.
something positive.
i also made 5 big boco prints. 
antidote to despair.

10 comments:

  1. love these photos and your description, have never met a black walnut tree in real life, it's way too hot for them here in Sydney!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would love to have a walnut tree, hopefully my brother might get one soon. The smell sounds delightful. My blog is a free blogger blog, I don't seem to have problems with comments apart from it used to notify when I had comments and now doesn't so I have to check.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! Those bubbling pictures! Also, like Debbie, I use free blogger and sometimes have to check for my comments, but I can answer, especially after getting a fix from Liz. Walnut dye seems a perfect way to turn this current muck into beauty. xo

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a great crop of walnut! Congrats.
    Last week I also got some, but not nearly as much as you have:).

    ReplyDelete
  5. so trying again. jean, you are so right. i have a bucket that's waiting. i have to admit i love this big potfull of greenballs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i just relpied to everyone, and then it all went west. grrrr.

      Delete
  6. i have read others that can't comment either-so far I still can however I like getting email notifications so I can reply personally and that does not work for me blogger seems to be having too many issues
    I always thought that one needed to dry the walnuts first for the dye-or to take the husks off-dry and then dye-I enjoy your posts

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good artcile, but it would be better if in future you can share more about this subject. Keep posting.
    Bandarqq Online

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi V - blogger frustrations are no fun; so hard isn't it to find and keep a thing that works over the years. I still enjoy reading your blog posts even tho we can't 'chat' in the comments!

    ReplyDelete

be in touch!

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *