Making Cone Incense
By Mike Young
Preparation: Dry Mixture
When experimenting with different herbs, you may get unexpected results. An ordinarily sweet and pleasant smelling herb may not be so when burning. Also, adding another woodsy herb may tone down a strong scent. Here is a sample recipe using rosemary:
Rosemary Incense
§ Measure 20 teaspoons rosemary powder.
§ Add 4 teaspoons base — red or white sandalwood.
§ Add 1 teaspoon gum arabic to bind incense.
§ Set aside until liquid mixture is ready.
§ Saltpeter (potassium nitrate) makes the incense burn when a match is struck to the cone. It should be available at a pharmacy.
§ Mix 1/4 teaspoon saltpeter to each 1/4 cup water.
§ Add liquid to dry mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time to avoid making it watery.
§ Mix with a wooden stick until dry herbal mixture becomes mud-like, preferably dough-like.
§ Measure 1 level teaspoon and roll mixture until it makes a 1 inch cone.
§ Put the rolled cones on a wooden board, preferably pine. Set the cones upright on the board for an hour. Then leave them on their sides until they are thoroughly dry.
§ Place the board with cones upright on a warm, sunny window sill. Leave them there for the remainder of the day. When the sun sets, remove the board from cooling windowsill. On the second morning, leave the board with the cones in the sill all day, again removing them from cold windowsill at the end of the day. On the third day the cones may seem dry, but may be not in center, so leave them on windowsill another half day.
§ To store your cone incense, use glass containers. Glass is best because plastic and other materials absorb aroma more quickly than glass. If possible, put silica gel packets in the jar with the incense to keep it from getting moldy. | 
