Black Walnut Tincture
Black walnut tincture is an astringent, tannic, and cleansing herbal remedy for the digestive system and body. It’s often used to treat fungal, bacterial, and parasitic infections. In herbal tradition, it is also used to treat thyroid disorders. This helpful remedy is easy to make at home and uses the green hulls that would normally be a waste product from black walnuts.
Equipment
- Optional: Gloves (the walnut hulls can stain your hands)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fresh green black walnut hulls chopped, see notes
- 1 1/4 cups vodka 80 proof or higher, plus more to cover
Instructions
- Gather green black walnuts off the ground while the husks are still green and firm, and rinse any that are muddy.
- Put on gloves, then slice the green hull off each nut with a paring knife, setting the nuts aside for cracking later.
- Chop the hull pieces smaller so more cut surface is exposed to the alcohol.
- Pack the chopped hulls into a clean pint mason jar until it is about three quarters full.
- Pour vodka over the hulls until the jar is full to within an inch of the rim, pressing down any pieces that float so nothing sits above the alcohol.
- Cap the jar tightly, label it with the contents and the date, and set it somewhere cool and dark.
- Shake daily for the first week and every few days after that, checking that the lid is tight before every shake.
- Infuse for 4 to 6 weeks.
- Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and pour the tincture through into a clean jar, then squeeze the spent hulls to release the last of the liquid.
- Strain a second time through fresh cheesecloth to catch the fine sediment that hull tinctures leave behind.
- Decant into amber dropper bottles and label each one with the contents, the date, and the dose.
Notes
Yield: A pint jar makes about 10 to 12 ounces of finished tincture, enough to fill six 2 ounce dropper bottles.
Fresh or dried hulls: Fresh hulls fill the jar about three quarters full. Dried hull pieces are more concentrated, so fill the jar about halfway. Dried hull powder is more concentrated still, so fill the jar about a quarter of the way.
Alcohol percentage: Fresh hulls are mostly water, which dilutes the alcohol in the jar. Use 80 proof (40 percent) or higher. High proof grain alcohol should be cut with water to about 50 percent before it goes in, because tannins are water soluble and undiluted grain alcohol leaves some of them behind.
Folk method or weight to volume: These amounts are the folk method, where the jar is filled by eye. Working by weight, herbalists use 1 part fresh plant material to 2 parts alcohol, or 1 part dried to 5 parts alcohol.
Dosage: Most clinical herbalists say the dosage for black walnut tincture is usually 15 to 20 drops taken in water 2 to 3 times per day. One dropperful is around 20 drops. Some guides say 1 to 2 droppers full, taken 2 to 3 times a day, so dosages do vary. Consult a clinical herbalist for a dosage specific to your body and needs. Topically, use as needed, diluted with a little water on an open wound.
Safety: Do not use internally for more than 2 weeks at a time. Anyone with a tree nut allergy should avoid it. On skin it can stain and it irritates some people, so test a small patch first.
Alcohol free option: Cover dried hulls with 3 parts vegetable glycerine to 1 part water, shake daily for 4 to 6 weeks, and strain the same way. Shelf life drops to about 1 to 2 years.
Storage: Store the bottles cool and dark. An alcohol tincture holds its potency for 2 to 5 years.
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