Heidi Norton
Incense has been used for centuries in various cultures for its aromatic and spiritual properties. Making your own incense from resin is a fun and satisfying process that allows you to create unique fragrance combinations. The first step is to choose your ingredients, which can include natural resins such as pine, frankincense, or myrrh, along with herbs, woods, spices, and other aromatic substances. You'll then need to mix and prepare your ingredients, bind them together, and shape them into cones, sticks, or pellets. Finally, you'll need to dry and age your incense before burning it to release its fragrance.
How to make incense from resin
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Resin, wood, herbs, spices, dried fruits, honey, wine, hydrosols |
| Preparation | Mix dry ingredients (herbs and woods) separately, then add resins |
| Binding | Use honey, water, dried fruit, or labdanum to bind the mixture into a dough |
| Drying | Place pea-sized balls of the mixture on a plate to dry for several days to weeks |
| Burning | Burn over charcoal, mica on charcoal, or makko |
| Storage | Store ingredients in a dark, cool space |
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What You'll Learn
Using natural ingredients like woods, spices, and resins
Making incense from natural ingredients is a simple, inexpensive, and creative process. It is a great way to exercise your creativity and connect with nature. You can use various natural ingredients like woods, spices, resins, and other aromatic substances to create your own unique blend. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
Choosing Your Ingredients:
Start by selecting your base ingredient, which can be a wood, resin, or spice with a strong aroma. Popular choices for base woods include sandalwood, cedar, pine, juniper, spruce, and cypress. These woods have distinct scents and burn well. If you want a more subtle base, look for "oil-extracted" or lower-quality versions of these woods, which have milder fragrances. You can also experiment with other types of wood, such as balau, oak, or local varieties like stinkwood.
In addition to the base, you can add various spices and herbs to enhance the fragrance. Cinnamon, clove, star anise, lemongrass, pepper, vanilla, and rose water are great options. You can also use dried fruit, honey, or wine to add unique aromas and act as binding agents.
Preparing the Ingredients:
Once you have chosen your ingredients, prepare them by grinding them into a fine powder. You can use a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder, but avoid electric grinders as they produce too much heat, which can cause a loss of essential oils and fragrances. If you are using fresh ingredients like lemon peels or leaves, dry them completely in a dark and cool place before grinding.
Mixing and Binding:
After preparing your ingredients, separate the dry ingredients (herbs and woods) from the liquid or sticky substances (resins, essential oils, honey, etc.). Mix the dry ingredients together, and then combine them with your resins and other liquid additives. Use a mortar and pestle to blend the aromas of each ingredient thoroughly.
The next step is to add a binder, which acts as a glue to hold the incense together in the desired shape. Common wood binders include joss powder ("jiggit") and "tabu no ki" (also known as "makko"). Gum binders, such as guar gum or xanthan gum, are stronger but should be used sparingly (about 1/8 teaspoon per 2 tablespoons of material) to avoid interfering with combustion. Remember to add a small amount of water to activate the binder.
Forming and Aging:
Once your mixture is ready, you can form it into various shapes, such as cones, sticks, or pellets. Makko, a natural combustible and water-soluble material made from the bark of the tabu-no-ki tree, is excellent for forming incense into different shapes. The amount of makko required depends on the humidity, the amount of resins and woods in your mixture, and the consistency you desire.
Let your loose incense mixture sit overnight or for a day to allow the ingredients to blend. Then, add the makko and form your incense into the desired shapes. If you are making pellets, you can use pliable resins like labdanum to mould them. Dry the incense pieces in a covered ceramic jar for about two to three weeks to allow the fragrances to permeate and mature.
Burning Your Incense:
Finally, you can burn your incense to fill your space with aromatic fragrances. If you have made cones or sticks, light one end, fan out the flame, and let it burn slowly. For loose incense mixtures or pellets, you will need a heat source like charcoal or makko. You can place them directly onto a small campfire or on a hot rock. Alternatively, use a non-combustible vessel made of wood, metal, or pottery, filled with ash or sand.
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Collecting resin from the base of conifer trees
First, it is important to identify the right trees. Conifer trees, including Pine, Spruce, and Fir species, are known for producing resin. Look for trees with chunks of resin that have fallen to the ground or dripped down the trunk. White Pine (Pinus strobus), Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea), and Spruce species (Picea spp.) are commonly found conifers that produce resin.
Next, prepare the necessary tools and equipment. You will need a container to collect the resin, such as a disposable plastic bag or a parchment paper-lined container. You may also want to use a tool like a knife or a chisel to pry or scrape the resin from the tree or the ground. Remember to use something that you don't mind getting sticky, as resin can be very messy.
When collecting the resin, it is essential to be mindful of the tree's health. Resin is like a natural band-aid for the tree, helping to seal wounds and protect against infection. Avoid collecting resin directly from tree wounds, as this can further harm the tree. Instead, look for resin that has dripped down the trunk or solidified on the ground.
Resin can be found in various forms, from soft and gooey to semi-solid or solid chunks. If the resin is soft, you can try breaking off a piece. If it is harder, you may need to use your tools to carefully pry or scrape it off. Keep in mind that resin can be extremely sticky, so it's a good idea to wear gloves or have cooking oil on hand to remove it from your skin.
Finally, it's worth noting that winter is an excellent time to harvest resin. The colder temperatures make the resin less sticky and viscous, making it easier to collect. Additionally, storms during winter can knock large chunks of resin to the ground, making your collection process more accessible.
By following these steps, you can sustainably collect resin from the base of conifer trees to use as a base for creating your own aromatic incense mixtures. Remember to store your collected resin in a cool, dark place until you're ready to use it.
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Mixing dry ingredients and resins separately
When preparing your ingredients, ensure you use high-quality natural ingredients. You can use your favourite woods and spices, dried fruits, fragrant hydrosols, and at least one resin or wood as your base. You can also add substances like wine and honey. It's important to store all your ingredients in a cool, dark space. If you're not starting with powdered ingredients, you'll need to grind them using a mortar and pestle. Avoid electric coffee grinders as they produce too much heat, which can cause the loss of vital chemicals.
Now, for mixing your dry ingredients and resins separately:
First, mix all your dry ingredients (herbs and woods) together in a bowl. Ensure you use a variety of bitter and sweet herbs or roots. Examples of bitter herbs include sagebrush, mugwort, yarrow leaves, juniper berries, and wormwood. Sweet herbs could be rose petals, lavender, yarrow flowers, or cinnamon. You can also add dried orange peel for its aromatics. If you're using wood, ensure it's in a powdered form.
In a separate bowl, mix all your resins together. You can use a single type of resin or a combination of different resins. Pine resin is a popular choice and can be easily found on the ground below pine trees. You can also buy commercial resins like frankincense or myrrh. If your resin is hard and difficult to crush, try placing it in the freezer for a few hours to make it brittle. Use a mortar and pestle to break the resin into smaller pieces, and then pulverize it further. The resin may soften, but the herbs will prevent it from becoming too sticky. It's okay if small lumps remain.
Once you've mixed your dry ingredients and resins separately, you'll combine them and add a binder to help them stick together. You can use honey, water, or dried fruit soaked in wine as a binder. Only add a small amount of binder at a time, mixing well, until you have a stiff dough-like mixture that's crumbly but sticks together when squeezed.
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Binding the mixture with honey, water, or dried fruit
When making incense from resin, you can bind the mixture with honey, water, or dried fruit. Here's a detailed guide on how to do this:
Binding with Honey
Honey can be used as a binder to form pellets from any dry mixture. It also acts as a preservative for dried fruit and adds a warm fragrance to the incense. Simply combine all your other dry ingredients first, then add the honey and knead the mixture well. You can then form the mixture into pellets and dry them in a ceramic jar with a lid for 2-3 weeks.
Binding with Water
Water can be used as a binder when making incense cones or sticks. Specifically, distilled water is used with makko, a natural combustible material made from the bark of the tabu-no-ki tree. When added to a loose incense mixture, makko allows you to form the incense into cones or sticks. The amount of makko you use depends on the humidity of your environment and the amount of resin and wood in your mixture. Let the loose incense mixture sit overnight before adding the makko and forming the incense into your desired shape.
Binding with Dried Fruit
Dried fruit can be used as a binder to make incense pellets. Sulfur-free, organic dried fruits such as raisins, dried apricots, or prunes are commonly used. Honey can be added to the dried fruit to act as a preservative and enhance the fragrance. Simply combine all your other ingredients first, then add them to the dried fruit and knead the mixture well. Form the mixture into pellets and dry them in a ceramic jar for 2-3 weeks.
Other Tips
Remember to always use high-quality, natural ingredients for your incense. Experiment with different woods, spices, and resins to find your perfect combination. You can also try adding other substances such as wine, fragrant hydrosols, or dried herbs to enhance the aroma and create unique combinations. Always store your ingredients and mixtures in a cool, dark space to prevent the loss of vital chemicals.
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Forming incense sticks using makko and water
To form incense sticks using makko and water, you will first need to create a loose incense mixture. This can be done by mixing dry ingredients such as herbs and woods, and separately mixing resins, before combining the two mixtures. You can use a mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients together and blend their aromas. This loose incense mixture should be left to sit for at least a day to allow the ingredients to blend together.
Once your mixture is ready, you can add makko to form incense sticks. Makko, or tabu, is a natural combustible material made from the bark of the tabu-no-ki tree, which is native to Asia. It is water-soluble, so the amount you will need depends on the humidity of your environment and the quantity of resins and woods in your mixture.
Add a small amount of distilled water or hydrosol to your loose incense mixture, along with the makko. You can then form this mixture into incense sticks by hand. If you are using a binder such as honey or dried fruit, you may need to knead the mixture first.
The final step is to dry your incense sticks. Place them on a ceramic plate or parchment paper and leave them to dry for several days or up to a couple of weeks, turning them every day or two to ensure even drying.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need a variety of bitter and sweet dried and ground herbs, such as sagebrush, mugwort, juniper berries, rose petals, and cinnamon. For the base, you can use either a resin, such as pine resin, or a wood, such as calamus root or wood betony. You will also need a binder, such as honey, water, or dried fruit soaked in wine.
First, mix all your dry ingredients (herbs and woods) together. Separately, mix all your resins together, then add this mixture to the dry mixture. You can then use a mortar and pestle to grind the mixture one last time to help blend the aroma of each ingredient. Roll your mixture into pea-sized balls and place them on a ceramic plate or a piece of parchment paper to dry for at least several days and up to a couple of weeks.
If you are gathering your own resin, only collect pieces that have fallen off the tree. Resins that are still on the outside of the tree are protecting it from infection. Only gather hard resin, not soft sticky sap. If you are making incense sticks or cones, you can use makko, which is made from the bark of the tabu-no-ki tree and is a natural combustible material that is also water-soluble.
