Anisha Riggs
Incense is any material made from plants that are burned for a fragrance, and there are many different ways to make it. The process of making incense is meditative, and it can be made from commonly found or grown botanicals. Frankincense, myrrh, and sandalwood are popular choices due to their rich aromatics, but there are many other options. The first step is to gather and crush your chosen herbs into a powder. Then, a binder like makko powder is added, followed by distilled water to form a dough. This dough is then shaped into cones or sticks and left to dry. The incense can then be burned, but it's important to take safety precautions like using a heat-resistant surface and proper ventilation to avoid fire hazards and potential injuries.
How do they make herbal incense?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Dried and ground herbs, flowers, resins, essential oils, and charcoal |
| Tools | Matches or a lighter, a mortar and pestle, a small conical mold, a plate, parchment paper, an incense dish, and charcoal briquettes |
| Process | Gather and crush ingredients, mix with a binder and water to form a dough, roll into cones or sticks, and dry for several days to a couple of weeks |
| Safety | Burn in a well-ventilated area, away from flammable objects, and on a heat-resistant surface. Keep away from children and those with respiratory issues |
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What You'll Learn
- Choosing your ingredients: popular herbs include cedar, lavender, sage, sweetgrass, and rosemary
- Preparation: dry and crush your chosen herbs into a powder
- Binding: add a binding agent such as makko powder and water to form a dough
- Moulding: shape your mixture into cones or sticks
- Drying: leave your incense to dry for several days or up to a couple of weeks
Choosing your ingredients: popular herbs include cedar, lavender, sage, sweetgrass, and rosemary
When choosing your ingredients for herbal incense, it's important to consider the aroma and effect you want to achieve. Popular herbs include cedar, lavender, rosemary, sage, and sweetgrass, each offering unique properties and benefits.
Cedar, known for its woody and refreshing scent, is often used to promote relaxation and enhance meditation practices. It blends well with other herbs and can be easily grown or purchased. Lavender, with its calming and soothing fragrance, is another popular choice. Lavender incense can be created using dried lavender flowers, which can be ground into a powder and mixed with a binding agent like makko powder. This mixture can then be shaped into cones or sticks for burning.
Sage, a versatile herb, is commonly used for its ability to clear negative energy and purify spaces. It has a strong aroma, so it is often used in combination with other herbs like lavender, creating a blend known as "Purple Sage." When making sage incense, it is essential to ensure proper ventilation and follow safety precautions due to its strong fragrance.
Sweetgrass, a traditional herb used in Chinese incense, offers a unique aroma with its main aromachemical, coumarin. It can be challenging to break down sweetgrass sufficiently with a mortar and pestle, and its powder is typically added to sticks or incense cones. Rosemary is another ancient and popular herb used in incense, known for its ability to stimulate mental clarity and concentration. To make rosemary incense, one can combine rosemary with powdered resin and wood, creating a loose incense mixture ready for burning.
Remember, when choosing your ingredients, you can opt for commonly found or locally grown botanicals to create unique and sustainable incense blends.
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Preparation: dry and crush your chosen herbs into a powder
Preparing your chosen herbs for herbal incense involves drying and crushing them into a powder. Here's a detailed guide to help you with the process:
Drying Herbs:
Start by gathering your chosen herbs and drying them. Remove any thick stems, keeping mainly the leaves. Rinse the herb leaves and use a salad spinner to remove excess water if needed. The herbs should then be dried. There are several methods to achieve this:
- Dehydrator: Use a food dehydrator to dry the herbs. Set the temperature to around 95°F (35°C); a lower temperature helps retain the herb's natural oils for better flavour. Place the leaves on dehydrator trays and dry.
- Oven: Place the herbs in the oven at a low temperature of around 40°C for about 20 minutes to ensure they are completely dry.
- Hanging: Gather the herbs in small bunches and tie them with string. Hang them upside down in a cool, dry spot with good air circulation.
- Paper Bags: Put the herbs into brown paper bags, seal, and store them in a dry place.
Grinding Herbs:
Once the herbs are completely dry, it's time to grind them into a fine powder. Here are some methods to do this:
- Coffee Grinder: Use a coffee grinder dedicated to grinding herbs and spices. Put the dried herb leaves into the grinder, and pulse in small batches until you achieve a fine powder. Clean the grinder after each use to avoid flavour contamination.
- Mortar and Pestle: Use a mortar and pestle to manually grind the dried herbs into a fine powder.
- Freezing: Blend fresh herb leaves with a small amount of water and freeze the puree into ice cubes. Then, thaw and use these herb cubes for cooking or grinding into a powder.
- Liquid Nitrogen: For those with access to liquid nitrogen, you can try cryo-muddling. Place the herbs in a cocktail shaker, add liquid nitrogen, and muddle the herbs into a powder. This method provides excellent flavour extraction and can be used for cocktails or dried for future use.
Remember to store your powdered herbs in airtight containers or bags, labelling them accordingly. Store them in a dark, dry place to help retain their flavour and freshness.
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Binding: add a binding agent such as makko powder and water to form a dough
When making herbal incense, binding is an important step. This is where you add a binding agent, such as makko powder, to your herbal mixture to form a dough. Makko powder, also known as tabu no ki, is derived from the bark of the Machillus Thunbergii tree. It is a popular choice for incense-making due to its ability to burn smoothly and evenly, and its virtually scentless quality. This allows the fragrance of the herbs to shine through.
To form the dough, mix the makko powder with your chosen herbs, resins, or spices. You can also add water to make the dough more pliable and easier to shape. The consistency should be similar to playdough, and you should be able to roll it out and cut it into your desired shape. If you're making incense sticks, you can roll the dough into pea-sized balls, which you can then coat in powdered herbs to prevent sticking.
The amount of makko powder you use is up to your preference. You can add as much or as little as you like to achieve the desired consistency and burning characteristics. Some people also add a little gum arabic to the mixture, as this helps the incense sticks stay together and burn evenly.
After forming your incense shapes, place them on a ceramic plate or parchment paper and leave them to dry for several days or up to a couple of weeks, depending on the humidity. Turning them over every day or two will ensure they dry evenly. Once they're completely dry, you can burn your herbal incense and enjoy the fragrance.
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Moulding: shape your mixture into cones or sticks
When it comes to moulding your herbal incense mixture into cones or sticks, there are a few different approaches you can take. One common method is to use a cone or stick mould, which you can easily find online or in specialty stores. These moulds are typically made of flexible materials like silicone or plastic and come in various sizes. To use them, simply fill the mould with your incense mixture, packing it tightly and evenly, and then gently remove the moulded cone or stick. If you're using a silicone mould, you may need to lightly grease it with a release agent, such as vegetable oil, to ensure the incense comes out smoothly. Another approach is to create your own moulds using aluminium foil or parchment paper. For cones, you can roll the foil or paper into a cone shape, secure it with tape, and then fill it with your mixture. For sticks, cut the foil or paper into strips, roll them around a thin cylindrical object like a chopstick or pencil, and then fill the tube with your incense blend. Whether using a store-bought or homemade mould, it's important to pack the incense mixture tightly to ensure the final product holds its shape.
Once you've filled your mould, use a flat object like a butter knife or spatula to level off the top and remove any excess mixture. Gently tap the mould on a hard surface to help settle the incense and remove any air bubbles. If you're making cones, you can also shape the top of the cone by hand to create a smooth, even surface. After filling and levelling off your moulds, it's time to remove them. Silicone moulds typically have some flexibility, allowing you to gently bend and pop out the cone or stick. If you're using a rigid mould, carefully lift or slide out the incense, taking care not to crack or break the shape. For foil or paper mould, carefully tear away the mould from the incense, being mindful not to disturb the shape. It's important to work slowly and carefully during this step to maintain the integrity of your cones or sticks.
Once your cones or sticks have been removed from the moulds, they will need to dry thoroughly. Place them on a drying rack or a piece of parchment paper and let them air-dry for several days in a cool, dry place. The amount of drying time needed will depend on the ingredients used, the humidity levels, and the thickness of your cones or sticks. You can also use a dehydrator or oven on low heat to speed up the drying process, but be sure to monitor them closely to avoid scorching. Proper drying is crucial to ensure your herbal incense burns evenly and produces the desired aroma when lit.
After your cones or sticks have dried completely, you may want to finish them with a coating to enhance their appearance and improve their longevity. One popular option is to roll or dip them in a natural fixative like gum arabic or a blend of essential oils and alcohol. This helps seal in the fragrance and gives your incense a glossy finish. You can also decorate your cones or sticks with herbs, petals, or glitter to add a touch of visual appeal. Finally, store your finished herbal incense in airtight containers to preserve their freshness and aroma. Keep them away from direct sunlight and moisture to ensure they last as long as possible. With proper storage, your handcrafted cones or sticks will be ready to burn and enjoy whenever you desire.
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Drying: leave your incense to dry for several days or up to a couple of weeks
Once you've prepared your incense mixture, it's time to let it dry. Place your incense balls on a ceramic plate or a piece of parchment paper and leave them to dry. The drying time can vary depending on the humidity of your climate. In general, it's recommended to let them dry for at least several days and up to a couple of weeks. During this time, remember to turn them every day or two to ensure even drying.
Drying incense properly is crucial to prevent mould growth, especially in humid climates. If your incense doesn't dry thoroughly, it may not burn properly and could go out prematurely due to moisture. To combat this, some people suggest using a sealed container with a desiccant, such as rice or silica gel, to absorb moisture during the drying process.
Another option to accelerate the drying process is to use an oven. You can bake your incense at a low temperature, around 150°F for 20 minutes, to speed up the drying. Alternatively, you can purchase a dehydrator, which will help remove moisture from your incense more effectively.
Remember, slower drying is generally better for retaining the scent of your incense and preventing physical damage, such as cracking or bending. Always store your dried incense in a cool, dry location to maintain its quality and prevent mould or brittleness caused by exposure to moisture or heat.
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Frequently asked questions
You can use a variety of home-grown or store-bought dried herbs such as cedar, lavender, sage, and sweetgrass, sagebrush, mugwort, juniper berries, rosemary, thyme, rose petals, fir needles, and cinnamon. You will also need a binding agent such as makko powder, which is derived from the bark of the Thunberi tree, and some distilled water.
You will need a way to smoke your incense, such as matches or a lighter. You will also need a mortar and pestle to crush your herbs, a small conical mold to shape your incense, and a drying screen to dry your incense.
First, gather your dried herbs and crush them into a powder using a mortar and pestle. Then, mix in your binding agent, such as makko powder, and slowly add distilled water until a dough forms. Next, mold your cones by placing the dough into a small conical mold. Finally, place your cones on a drying screen and allow them to dry for at least several days before burning.
