Walnuts

[Realgar]

Looks like it's going to be a good season for them this. I preserve a load in honey, any other methods of long term storage?

The 'husks' with their powerful staining ability - is that really iodine in them or is it just coincidence that they smell of iodine and stain yellow?

Realgar

[Ed]

The 'husks' with their powerful staining ability - is that really iodine in them or is it just coincidence that they smell of iodine and stain yellow?

Well spotted :biggthump
The hulls/husks of the walnut (the bit around the nut) do contain organic iodine...... hence the reason tincture of black walnut was used once upon a time as an antiseptic and was also used externally for ringworm in the past. I believe they also used to drink it to kill parasites within the body...

:-)
Ed

[Realgar]

the husk tastes foul! I might have to have a play and see if I can actually extract iodine from it, there's a limit to how much of the waste you can turn into wood stain.

Cheers
Realgar