Fill your home with the scents of the season with an aromatic Simmer Pot. Customize your recipe with whatever you have on-hand and create a cozy atmosphere perfect for chilly winter days or holiday gatherings.
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About this Simmer Pot tutorial
When you want to fill your home with cozy, comforting scents of the season, you can’t beat a simmer pot. It avoids artificial fragrances in favor of fruits, herbs and spices that you can customize to fit your preferences.
You could even use a homemade cocktail infusion kit, and you can even package the ingredients to give as a gift. Start one on the stove before hosting and your guests will walk into a space that’s warm and inviting.
The best part is that you’ll have your home smelling like the holidays in just a few minutes. You’ll want to add a simmer pot to your party prep list for the entirety of the season!
More cozy recipes: Hot Toddy with Tea • Mulling Spices • Honey Citrus Mint Tea
Why you’ll love this recipe
- You choose the ingredients. Create your perfect scent with no fake fragrances in sight.
- Perfect for a party. Prep for guests by filling your house with a cozy smell.
- It doubles as a great gift. Add the ingredients to a cute package for a gift everyone will love.
Tools & equipment
This recipe comes together in a snap! You’ll want a sharp knife and cutting board to prepare fresh fruit. Outside of that, you’ll just need a saucepan!
If you’ll be gifting a mixture for a simmer pot, you’ll need a glass jar or other cute container with a little bow on it! You’ll also want a baking sheet * if you’ll be dehydrating your own fruit.
The best simmer pot aromatics
Swap in other ingredients you have on-hand or your favorite scents to truly make your simmer pot your own.
For my simmer pot, I used a mixture of herbs, spices and fruit. Orange slices (I used dehydrated) give sweet, zesty vibes. I pulled whole spices from my pantry, including cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice pods, cardamom pods and whole cloves. And then I used fresh rosemary sprigs from my garden. Of course, you’ll also need water for any simmer pot.
👇 For full measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card. It’s all there waiting for you!
Simmer pots are extremely flexible and forgiving, so don’t worry if you don’t have one of these ingredients! This is one of my most flexible recipes, and what you use is truly up to you! I recommend using at least one ingredient from each category: fruits, herbs and whole spices.
- Fruits: apples, pears, cranberries, pomegranate, orange, grapefruit, lemons or limes
- Herbs and botanicals: thyme, bay leaves, mint, or even sprigs of fir or spruce trees
- Whole spices: nutmeg (whole, cracked), juniper berries, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, ginger root/dried ginger root
- Liquids: tea bags, apple cider, lemon juice (use a little of these, plus water!)
Instructions
When you’re ready to get your simmer pot going, here’s what you do!
First, add your orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice, cardamom pods, whole cloves and rosemary (or whatever combination of ingredients you’re using) to a medium saucepan or large pot.
Next, fill the pot with water and bring it to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and enjoy the cozy smells!
Keep adding water whenever it runs low, and it will keep smelling amazing for hours!
Tips & tricks
- Use an ingredient from each category — fruit, herb and spice — to get the best scent.
- You can combine whole spices, dried fruits and fresh ingredients in one simmer pot.
- Keep an eye on the pot as it simmers, as the water will slowly evaporate. If the water level gets low or the pot begins to steam heavily, add more water to prevent scorching.
Gift packaging ideas
We love a mason jar gift! If you’re gifting a kit for a simmer pot, you’ll want to skip the fresh fruit and use dehydrated citrus instead. Same goes for herbs — dried herbs will keep versus fresh. That way, it’s shelf stable so they don’t have to use it right away.
Use a mason jar with a festive ribbon and print the instructions on a tag or a sticker so they know exactly what to do. You can even follow the instructions for our popular cocktail infusion kits and indicate that the recipient can use it as a simmer pot instead of creating their own booze.
FAQ
The recipe of a simmer pot is extremely flexible, but it’s recommended to use a combination of fruits, herbs and whole spices for the best results.
Since the water in the simmer pot will slowly evaporate, keep an eye on it and if the water level gets low or the pot begins to steam heavily, add more water to prevent scorching.
More homemade food gifts
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Simmer Pot
ingredients
- 1 whole orange sliced (fresh or about 8 slices dehydrated orange)
- 6 whole cinnamon sticks
- 6 whole star anise
- 6 whole allspice pods
- 1 tablespoon cardamom pods
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 4-8 cups water plus more as needed
instructions
- Add orange slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise, allspice, cardamom pods, whole cloves and rosemary to a medium saucepan or large pot.1 whole orange, 6 whole cinnamon sticks, 6 whole star anise, 6 whole allspice pods, 1 tablespoon cardamom pods, 1 tablespoon whole cloves, 4 sprigs rosemary
- Fill the pot with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.4-8 cups water
- Let simmer uncovered, adding more water as needed to keep the pot filled. Keep on the stove as long as desired.
notes
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