Clarification on Indigo Extraction

Q: I have a question about getting indigo pigment from the indigo I grew. I saw the PDF you have on your website where you alkalize and oxidize. At the end it says to prepare your vat or let dry. How do you dry? Do you leave it in the container with the lid open? I also was wondering if the size of container mattered? Is it better to do in small batches instead of a large amount? Also, how long is the shelf-life of the extracted pigment if I am not yet ready to make my vat?

A: If you let your pigment settle for a few days you can pour off the liquid on top. You can then put the remaining concentrate in a container and further boil it off or just let it sit out to dry. There’s an indefinite shelf-life so no rush to make your vat. Just keep the dried sediment in a jar in a cool place and out of the sun.

I would suggest doing bigger batches if you can. Small batches yield verrrrry little pigment each so the bigger the batch, the fewer times you’ll have to do the process!

There are some posts on my Instagram (@yesgraham) with shots of the indigo extraction process. You can also find information from other folks on Instagram using these tags as well: #indigoextraction2017, #indigoextraction2018, and #indigoextraction2019.