Winter brings the sweet smell and tastes of oranges and tangerines.

I didn’t realize that this beautiful fruit could be used to make a glorious ink until I saw a post in my instagram feed and I just had to try it. (I hoped to give credit but can’t find the artist)

Save your orange peels in a container in your fridge. You don’t want them to get dried out or moldy while you gather enough to fill a small pot. Once you have a good amount cut them up and put them in a pot with enough spring or filtered water to just cover them.

Bring the liquid to a boil and then add 3 to 4 tablespoons of soda ash. The color turns instantly. Let it cook for 30 minutes. Do a few test strips to check the color. Strain the liquid. You can add baking soda to thicken it if you like.

The result is a really beautiful yellow. The dark color in the art work is the orange and I added daffodil ink too.