In my own backyard

Last year I was reminded that I have pecan trees in my yard.  Several of them.  And they're very mature and very productive, by the look of things.  I picked up a nut that had been prematurely knocked off the branch, hull and all, and started to play with it.  In the process I got quite a bit of hull juice on my hands, and I later discovered it is not an easy stain to remove.  Thus began my mild fascination with dyes that can be made from materials that can be found in the garden (or the grocery store, for cheats) at little to no cost.



Web searches yielded sparse information about using pecan hulls for dyeing, but walnut hulls were a whole different story.  Really, they're not that different, aside from the size of the hulls and the smell during cooking.  And yes, I do have firsthand experience with both.  Jean sent me some walnut hulls (a little worse for wear after spending a couple of days sealed in a bag inside a hot car), and I sent her a jar of dye.  I think her words describe the experience perfectly: "Like an Ent was sick in my kitchen."

I find it interesting that before I became truly interested in natural dyeing methods I stumbled upon one of the few plant dyes that does not require a mordant to maintain its colorfastness.  Weird, really.

Here comes the photo-heavy bit!

Gather your hulls and rinse off as much dirt and debris as possible.  Toss them into a large pot (stainless steel or enameled, unless you plan on using your pot as a mordanting agent) reserved for dyeing ONLY.  Cover the hulls with water, and add a bit extra for evaporation.

Bring the water to a boil, then let the pot simmer on medium-low heat for two hours, stirring occasionally.  Turn off the heat and scoop the large chunks out of the dye.

Strain the small bits of debris from the liquid.  I've used a coffee filter and a funnel.  Folded pieces of cheesecloth work well, too.  When the flow of liquid through the funnel has slowed down significantly, replace the coffee filter.

I've stored my dye in canning jars.  One has been in the fridge since late September and shows no sign of mold formation.  Others are on a shelf out of direct sunlight.  As long as the seal is good, the dye should have a very long shelf life.  If you plan on using it all up fairly quickly, but not right away, strain it into clean recycled pasta sauce jars and store in the fridge until time to dye.