Homemade Black Walnut Tincture & Iodine Solution

Black Walnuts ( Juglans nigra ), are wonderful things and have so many uses. Black Walnut tincture has been made and used for many, many years.

To make a tincture ... gather Black Walnuts in the fall and sort through to find the ones with the best greens. The green outer hull is what you need and it should be in the best condition. If using just the green you'll have a stronger tincture sooner but many people use the whole walnut so that they don't get the stains.

Black walnut is traditionally used for treating parasites and parasitic infections but has also been used in some cancer treatments and is very high in iodine. Some people believe that because of the high iodine content, taking a strong Black Walnut tincture (Iodine Solution) can prevent or treat radiation sickness.

You can make a traditional tincture with drinking alcohol and you can use almost any kind, from rum to whiskey. In my experience Brandy is best but much to expensive, followed by Vodka which is much more affordable. Or, you can make a non-alcohol tincture with brown vinegar, which works well but does not seem to work as well or as quickly as alcohol tinctures, in my opinion. Depending on the use, a traditional alcohol tincture will very likely get into the blood stream quicker than a vinegar tincture. I've made and tried both and tried a couple of different drinking alcohols and prefer Vodka for medicinal tinctures.

Another consideration is shelf life. Vinegar tinctures do not keep nearly as long as alcohol tinctures. I'll use vodka here but the directions are the same regardless of what you use.

Add the whole walnuts, or just the green hulls, to a wide mouth jar or crock and fill to cover with Vodka. Cover with a good lid and allow to set, out of direct sunlight, for roughly 3 to 6 days. The longer it sets the stronger it will be. Gently shake once a day. The tincture will turn dark. When it's finished just pour off the liquid into a clean bottle and cap well.

Dosages depend on use and individual, and I have not found any recommended dosage for preventing/treating radiation sickness.

The hulls can also be dried and powdered and used in herbals. Wormwood (dried or tinctured) is an excellent addition for treating parasite infection.

****** Please see your care provider before using any treatment, natural or otherwise.

****** Pregnant women should take extra care with everything.

****** Horses should never be given Black Walnut in any form.