How to Make Incense - Homemade Orange Peel Incense Recipe
This recipe teaches you how to make incense at home with leftover orange peels. You will only need 20minutes and 1 ingredient - citrus peel.
Equipment
- peeler
- Microwave
- Food Processor (Or mortar and pestle)
- fine mesh strainer
- powdered incense burner kit
Ingredients
- 2 oranges
- 1 pomelo (You can use a combination of any type of citrus, such as orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat...)
Instructions
To Make Incense with Citrus Peels
- Wash and dry some citruses of your choice. (I used 1 pomelo and 2 oranges.) Use a peeler to peel off the colored outer skin.
- Evenly spread the zest pieces over a plate, microwave on 100% powder for 5 minutes until they turn crispy.
- Use a food processor (or mortar and pestle) to grind the zests into powder.
- Sift the zest powder with a fine mesh strainer.
- Put the fine zest powder in a small glass bottle, close the lid.
To Burn Powder Incense
- Press the white ash (see note) tightly with an ash press to make the surface flat.
- Gently place the incense mold on the center of the flat white ash.
- Press the handle of the incense mold with the index finger of your left hand lightly, use your right hand to pour the incense powder into the mold.
- Use an incense shovel to scrape the incense powder to fill the slot evenly.
- Use the top of the incense shovel to tap the handle and the edge of the mold to separate the incense powder from the slot, so that the incense powder won't stick to the mold at the next step.
- Hold the handle of the incense mold, lift it up slowly and vertically. In this way, an incense seal (香篆 xiāng zhuàn) is formed.
- Light a stick incense with a match or lighter, use the stick incense to light one end of the incense seal.
- Put off the stick incense by inserting the burning tip into white ash. Cover the powder incense burner with its lid.
- When smelling incense, the incense burner should be at least one foot away from the person. If it is too close, it will be a kind of disrespect for the incense, also the smell will be too strong to be appreciated.
Video
Notes
1. White ash: mostly diatomaceous earth (a natural, fossilized algae that forms as a soft sedimentary rock) with traces of types of clay such as bentonite and pearlite.
White ash is used for holding incenses and protecting the burner you’re using. The ash is lightweight and breathable to permit the flow of oxygen to the surface, which encourages even, efficient burning of incense.
2. Storage: Store your homemade incense in a cool and dry place away from heat and direct sunlight. Use within 1 year.
3. The steps of burning incense seem to be easy, but in fact, each step requires a lot of patience. You have to be very calm and focused to get a perfect incense seal. As long as you don't pay attention, the shape of seal incense will be destroyed.
Perhaps it is the charm of incense. Only by being careful, meditating, and patient, can you produce a good incense seal and appreciate the peaceful, calm and relaxed atmosphere brought by the incense.