Winter Cooking

 

Time for a new vat of Walnut Juice! The pots are freshly scrubbed and just begging to be cooking something... and the plant pot full of walnut husks have sat out front all winter turning into their wonderful blackness! I am quite surprised the critters did not get into them this year. I usually need to cover them up, but never did. (see also Oak Gall Soup)

I enjoy processing natural materials into dyes to use on fabrics (Winter Scarves) and art projects (My Prince!).

Trying something new... I have heard color can be had from avocados, so I have been saving pits and peels for a few years. Some I had saved in a freezer bag and others I had dried allowed to dry. Here is a pot of the peels that will cook for a few days. I will then see how it works on muslin fabric.

I decided to do the pits separate to see if they cook up differently. They will have to wait a few days because I need one burner free to cook my dinner.

 

 

I also plan to experiment with black beans... I have seen lovely results from them and want to try it out.

 

I recently bought 10 yards of unbleached muslin, so I have plenty of fabric to dye for projects. Whatever the results: success or fail... I will share!

 

   

 

Update: Dipped printmaking paper in dye vats after about 24 hours and here are results. The lighter one is avocado and walnut is on the right. Pretty good for just one day. The pots will sit on low heat for several days.