Green Walnuts

[scott taylor]

Is there any use for green walnuts that have been stewed down as a leather or wood stain?
I am no where near crafty but fantasize about making a knife sheath for my totally non-authentic Western brand bowie. At least it has a cabon blade. Also maybe to use to stain hickory tomahawk handles.
I only ask now because I need to get them pretty quick or it will be too late for this year.

Scott

 

[necchi]

Makes great stain, and has been used for centuries :grin:

I still have several jars canned from a batch I made 4-5 years ago.
The trick is too keep it away from air or in the fridge for storage. The stuff has a high sugar content and will easily pick up free mold in the environment. The mold won't wreck the stain properties but it's icky an smelly if gone too far.
I just canned the stuff like jelly when it was hot and good-too-go.

It's good for wood, leather/hide, fabric,,
Of course it's water soluble so it looses a bit each time it get's wet unless treaded too water proof somehow.

 

[brawny man]

I have used the Walnut stain to dye some pants and shirts. When soiled be advised to wash the dyed clothes separately with cool water since the dye will bleed some even when set with mordant.
I have also used the Walnut stain on a split ash pack basket, turned out quite nice. I also used it on a knife sheath. I liked it. Suggest that you first try some on a scrap of wood or leather to see if it is the look you want. :thumbsup:

 

[necchi]

Ya, and the more ya render it down the darker it git's.

 

[brawny man]

Some add alcohol after the mix is cooled and put in jars to suppress the mold. :thumbsup:

 

[Curmudgeon74]

I never thought of the alcohol, all though I did put some down me gullet as I bile'd down me last batch.

Gonna add some alcohol nxt time, cause I had the nasty mold meownself...

 

[scott taylor]

Well my expedition to the creek to get said walnuts was hampered by 111 degree temps this afternoon. Heck it was 100 by 11 this morning. I hope it cools off soon. Me thinks when I get them cooked down I will just freeze the juice, if my wife lets me put them in her freezer.
Thanks to all for the advice.
Scott

 

[jethro224]

Do they work just as well if you dry them for later use? Seems like it might be more convenient to store. :idunno:
I know I've seen dried walnut husks advertised for sale.

 

[necchi]

Yup, it's actually the outside husk that has the color.
Trick is the get the husk too dry and not rot, however even the dried moldy husk has color in it. It's just a matter of boiling the husk and then rendering down the water from it to whatever concentrate you want.

 

[onepaw]

i used rain water and it seemed to be a better dye

 

[jethro224]

I thought the trick was to get the husks off and not end up with dyed fingers. :haha:

 

[Macon Due]

That's called......'rubber gloves'
Macon

 

[necchi]

The dyed fingers last 4 days, a little longer near the in the cuticle :wink:

 

[brawny man]

Yep, found out about adding alcohol when my first batch went bad, nasty looking it was. :shocked2:

 

[Macon Due]

One shot
You just using 'rubbing alcohol'? If so........how much? My stain has a little mold already.
Thanks......Macon

 

[brawny man]

Yes, I use rubbing alcohol. I put in a 16oz bottle for 2 gallons of dye. Don't know if that is too much. After reading some of the above replies I would like to try the dried until needed method. Might be quite a battle keeping the local squirrels at bay. :rotf: I dumped hulls from the last boiled batch in the back yard and it was gone by morning. :shocked2:

 

[necchi]

Kinda of off topic funny,
When I harvested walnut last time (My sister has a tree) I got home with a basket full and there was a squirrel in the yard a good ways off.
I lobbed one at him hard over hand, it landed, bounced and roll almost too his feet.
Without hesitation, he grabbed that thing stood on his hind legs and peeled the husk off that nut in bout` 4 seconds flat!! Then scurried off to bury it who knows where?
I'm still amazed at how quick he peeled that thing! :shocked2: :haha:

 

[Troy Allen Christianson]

Them "Tree Ba'rs" have had a few million years of pratice skinnin' them things. :wink:

 

[longbow-hunter]

I wanted to do some walnut dyeing last fall, so I collected a bucket full of walnuts and for some reason filled the bucket with water. A few weeks ago I found this bucket still full with a thick black soupy liquid. I strained it off and dyed my diamond shelter in it and really like it. Now I stll have almost 5 gal. of it left. :idunno:

 

[necchi]

Did we mention that simply steeping the walnuts for a long period works well also,, :haha: