Iron Gall Ink Recipe For Traditional Writing

Welcome to the wild and wacky world of ink-making! Yes, you heard it right—ink! It’s not just for your quills anymore. Today, we’re diving into the art of crafting Iron Gall Ink. Seriously, who knew that making ink at home could be this much fun? You can channel your inner medieval scribe, and trust me, it’ll give your writing a touch of authenticity that even Shakespeare would envy. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients

Before we jump into the ink pot, let’s see what magical ingredients you’ll need for this splendiferous concoction:

1 cup of oak galls (dried or fresh)
2 cups of distilled water
1 teaspoon of vinegar (for that extra zing)
1 teaspoon of gum arabic (because who doesn’t love a little stickiness?)
Optional: a handful of iron filings (to really kick it up a notch)

Now that we have our ingredients, let’s move on to the fun part—mixing it up!

Step 2: Making the Ink

Start by taking those oak galls. If you’re like me, you might wonder what on earth an oak gall is. It’s basically a nasty little growth on oak trees that oak wasps like to party with. But don’t worry! We’re going to put these party crashers to good use.

Step 1 of Iron Gall Ink (12 of 13) – Ink, Yarn & Beer Chop those galls into smaller pieces; the smaller, the better! Next, toss them into a pot with two cups of distilled water. Bring it to a gentle boil and let it simmer like your grandmother’s secret soup recipe for about an hour. This step is crucial for extracting all the lovely tannins from the galls. It’s like brewing a strong pot of tea, but much, much messier!

After that hour of anticipation (during which you may want to entertain your friends with tales of medieval scribes), take the pot off the heat and allow it to cool. Once it’s cool enough for you to handle, strain the mixture to remove the solid bits. You should be left with a rather dark liquid. Now, let’s throw in that secret ingredient—our vinegar! This will help preserve the ink and is the secret to its vibrant color.

Next, if you’re fancy and want your ink a bit thicker, stir in the gum arabic. This gives your ink that smooth flow that makes it perfect for writing. If you’re feeling adventurous, toss in those iron filings for that metallic flair. And voila—your very own Iron Gall Ink ready to rock the parchment!

Now, go ahead and fill your favorite ink bottle, grab your quill, and start crafting some masterpieces. Because, let’s face it, nothing says “I’m a creative genius” like writing with ink you made yourself!