walnut ink

My mother has been requesting some for years. Every time she looks up into the canopy of my walnut trees she asks about it. Well, today is her birthday… and knowing all the walnut cooking I've been doing, what do you think her humble birthday request has been?

 "Just a little pot of ink… please!" 

I have a feeling very few mothers have asked for such a birthday present… but my mother is unlike any other. I'm so darn lucky! She pushes me to my creative edges, she's held my heart when it's been broken, she guides my parenting if I feel lost, and she always can make me laugh until my sides hurt. You know that wild uncontrollable belly laugh that only comes when you fully let loose… the one that heals and makes the tears flow… that's what she gives my sister and me on a regular basis. It's the best medicine, for sure. And as her children- we are the only one's who she has literally held closer to her heart than any other. We have also had the honor of listening to her heart from the inside. So isn't it fitting that the ink she's asked for comes from the fruit with a heart at its center. She knew… I'm sure of it!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Do you want to make walnut ink too? Use the same instructions from this post but only pour a few cups of liquid into the pot. Boil it down for several hours. I've heard that you can add a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol to the mixture to preserve it. Will give that a try when this cools completely.