Heidi Norton
Incense is a powerful tool for creating strong associations with memories and emotions through smell. Making your own incense at home allows you to choose the ingredients and set the intention for your incense. To make juniper incense, you can use either juniper berries or the needles of the eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) tree. The needles should be baked, ground into a powder, and mixed with other ingredients such as sandalwood powder, clove powder, and guar gum. The incense dough can then be formed into cones or sticks and burned on charcoal briquettes.
How to Make Juniper Incense
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Filling statues and stupas |
| Juniper Source | Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) |
| Form | Powder, cones, sticks |
| Ingredients | Juniper berries, pine needles, red cedar tips, sandalwood powder, clove powder, guar gum, water/herbal infusion/hydrosol, essential oils |
| Equipment | Electric grinder/mortar and pestle, glass bowl, wire whisk/wooden stick, charcoal briquette, incense dish |
| Procedure | Bake juniper needles, grind into powder, mix with other ingredients, knead into a smooth dough, burn on charcoal briquette |
| Benefits | Cleansing, purification, protection, illness prevention |
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What You'll Learn
Collecting juniper berries and needles
Juniper plants vary in size and shape, from tall trees 20–40 meters (66–131 feet) tall to columnar or low-spreading shrubs with long, trailing branches. They are evergreen with needle-like and/or scale-like leaves. The adult leaves of needle-leaf junipers are needle-like, in whorls of three, and jointed at the base. Juvenile needle-like leaves are not jointed at the base. The needle leaves of junipers are hard and sharp, so be sure to wear gloves when collecting them.
Juniper berries are the female seed cones produced by the various species of junipers. They are not true berries but cones with unusually fleshy and merged scales, giving them a berry-like appearance. The berries are green when young and take 8–24 months to mature to purple-black. They are usually blue when ripe, although some species produce red-brown or orange berries. The berries are typically found within two feet of the branch tips.
When collecting juniper berries, it is best to do so in the spring. It takes two to three years for the berries to become blue. Avoid picking reddish/blue berries left on the evergreen from the previous year. Leaving the berries on the evergreen overwinter gives them a more distinctive flavor.
Juniper berries and needles can be found on eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) trees and shrubs. In some regions, juniper is grown as decoration and may not be available for free.
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Baking the needles
First, find an eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), also known as juniper. Strip the needles off by hand and place them in an aluminum pan. It is okay if some small branches are mixed in with the needles. The number of needles you collect will depend on how much incense you want to make, but it is recommended to collect a generous amount as they will reduce in size during baking.
Next, prepare your baking setup. Place the pan of needles on a grill, ensuring it is secure and level. If desired, you can place the pan on brick tiles, which will help to regulate the temperature and prevent the needles from burning. This setup also allows you to turn off the grill after baking, letting the needles continue to dry without direct heat.
Now, you are ready to start baking. Turn on the grill and set the temperature to below 400°F (204°C). The baking time may vary, but generally, you should bake the needles for around one hour. Keep an eye on the needles during this process to ensure they do not burn. The needles are ready when they are dry and brittle.
Once the needles are baked, they will need to be ground into a fine powder. This can be done using a mortar and pestle or an electric grinder. The powder will then be blended with other ingredients to create your juniper incense.
Remember, the baking process may require some experimentation to find the ideal temperature and timing for your setup. Always prioritize safety when working with heat, and allow the needles to cool before handling them.
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Grinding the ingredients
First, source your ingredients. The key ingredient is, of course, juniper, and you can use either juniper berries or the needles of the eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) tree. If you opt for the latter, strip the needles from the tree by hand, ensuring you collect only the needles and, if necessary, the smallest branches.
Next, prepare the juniper for grinding. If you are using juniper berries, you can purchase these online. If you have foraged juniper needles, spread them out on a grill in an aluminium pan and bake them for around an hour at a temperature below 204°C (400°F). Baking the needles will dry them out and make them easier to grind.
Now it's time to grind. Measure out equal parts of your chosen form of juniper (berries or needles) and combine with other aromatic ingredients such as pine needles, red cedar tips, and even spices like cloves. You can also add sandalwood powder, but be aware that some varieties of this are fragrance-free. Place these measured ingredients into either an electric grinder or a mortar and pestle and grind until you have a fine powder.
Once you have a powder, transfer it to a glass bowl. Now you can add other powdered ingredients such as guar gum, as well as a small amount of liquid (water, herbal infusion, or hydrosol), to create a dough. You can use a small wire whisk or a wooden stick, such as a chopstick, to blend the ingredients together. If the mixture seems too dry, add a few more drops of liquid until you achieve a smooth dough.
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Adding the liquid
Now for the fun part: adding the liquid! For this step, you will need to gather a tablespoon of water, herbal infusion, or hydrosol. You can also use essential oils if you want to enhance the scent of your incense. Remember to add the liquid a little bit at a time to avoid making the mixture too wet. Using a small wire whisk or a wooden stick, carefully mix the liquid into the dry ingredients. If you don't have a wire whisk, don't worry—a chopstick or any similar tool will do the trick!
At first, your mixture may seem too dry, but don't be tempted to add more liquid right away. Keep mixing and use your fingers to press the ingredients together. This will help ensure that everything is thoroughly combined. If, after a few minutes, the mixture still seems too dry and isn't forming a dough, then you can slowly add a few more drops of liquid. The goal is to create a smooth dough that holds together without any cracks.
This process may take a bit of time and experimentation, so be patient and keep mixing until you achieve the desired consistency. It's important to go slowly and add the liquid gradually to avoid making the mixture too wet, as it can be tricky to salvage a soggy batch of incense dough. Remember, you can always add more liquid, but it's challenging to add more dry ingredients if you've added too much liquid.
Once you've achieved a smooth and crack-free dough, you can further customize the scent of your juniper incense by adding essential oils. This step is entirely optional, but it gives you even more control over the fragrance of your homemade incense. Simply add a few drops of your chosen essential oil to the dough and mix until it is evenly distributed.
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Burning the incense
Once you've made your juniper incense, it's time to burn it and enjoy its cleansing and purifying properties. Here's a step-by-step guide to burning your juniper incense:
- Prepare your space: Choose a well-ventilated area where you can safely burn incense. This could be a sacred space or altar, or simply a quiet corner of your home. Ensure that you have adequate ventilation by opening a window or door, especially if you are sensitive to smoke.
- Gather your tools: You will need an incense dish or burner specifically designed for burning incense. These can be found in various materials such as ceramic, brass, or metal. Additionally, you will need sand and charcoal briquettes. Prepare your incense balls or cones by having them ready at hand.
- Light the charcoal briquette: Place a small amount of sand in your incense dish or burner. This sand acts as a heat-resistant base. Then, place a charcoal briquette on top of the sand. Using a lighter or match, carefully light the briquette. Allow it to burn on its own for approximately 30 seconds to one minute, or until it is evenly hot. It may still appear black or glow faintly orange.
- Place your juniper incense: Gently place one of your juniper incense balls or cones on top of the hot charcoal briquette. Take care not to burn yourself, as the charcoal will be hot.
- Enjoy the aroma: As the incense begins to burn, it will release its aromatic fragrance. Juniper is known for its cleansing and purifying properties, so take a moment to inhale the scent and appreciate its refreshing and invigorating effects. You may also choose to use this time for meditation, prayer, or any other spiritual practice you align with.
- Extinguish and store: When you have finished enjoying your juniper incense, you can carefully extinguish the burning incense by gently pressing or suffocating the burning ember with a heat-resistant tool or snuffer. Always ensure that the incense is completely extinguished before leaving it unattended. Store any unused incense balls or cones in a dry and airtight container to preserve their fragrance and effectiveness.
Remember to always burn incense responsibly and safely. Keep flammable objects away from the burning incense, and ensure that children and pets are supervised and safe from harm. By following these steps, you can confidently burn your juniper incense and create a pleasant and aromatic environment.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need a burnable base, an aromatic substance, a bonding element, and a liquid to bring it all together. For the aromatic substance, you can use juniper berries, pine needles, and red cedar tips.
First, measure the herbs (equal parts of pine needles, juniper berries, and red cedar tips) and grind them until they are fine. Next, transfer the powdered herbs to a glass bowl and add the bonding element (such as sandalwood powder, clove powder, and guar gum). Slowly add the liquid (water, herbal infusion, or hydrosol) and carefully mix. Finally, gather the incense "dough" and knead it until it is smooth.
Place some sand into your incense dish and then place a charcoal briquette on top. Light the briquette and let it burn for about 30 seconds or until it is evenly hot. Then, place your juniper incense on top and enjoy!
