How to Make Sea Salt
Commercial salt makers produce sea salt in much larger scale than a home salt maker would, but knowing the commercial techniques can increase your knowledge and salt making possibilities. Here's how they do it:
• Small ponds are filled with sea water and the water is left to evaporate. The product left behind after all the water is gone is sea salt. This process works best in areas where there is a lot of sun and very little rain.
• Salt water is piped into large steel pans. Any mud or impurities settle to the bottom and the remaining good water is siphoned off and heated. As the water heats, any foam that forms is skimmed off the top and the water continues to evaporate until only salt crystals remain.
• Additives are sometimes included. Commercial seas salt makers sometimes add calcium and magnesium to their salts to provide added nutrition and a distinct taste.
How to Make Fragranced Incense Sticks
Incense has been used traditionally in different forms for thousands of years. The most common form is to burn woods, herbs, spices, resins, directly or over a piece of charcoal. For example, one can burn Frankincense 'tears' and Myrrh rocks by this method. Chips of woods such as sandalwood and Agarwood (Aloeswood, Jinko can be burned directly in a burner. More complex incense can be made by applying powders of various herbs, roots, woods etc., onto a wooden stick. The powders are held together and stick to the wooden stick using a natural binding glue. These type of incense sticks are called Masala incense sticks or Masala batti. The word 'batti' denotes something that is lighted. The word Agarbatti probably originated from an incense stick made of Agarwood, hence the word Agarbatti - 'Agar' + 'Batti'.
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