Want your home to smell like fall without toxic air fresheners? This recipe for Fall Simmering Spices or Potpourri is an all-natural, inexpensive and simple way to fill your home with the aroma of fall and Thanksgiving!
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Fall Simmer Pot Ingredients
The following ingredients are suggestions: use the fresh ingredients you have on hand to add aromatics the natural way!
- Apple: Use an apple that is past it’s prime for eating, the natural sugars will fill your home with the smell of an apple orchard. But also feel free to use other winter fruits like pear slices and pomegranates.
- Juices: Got some on-the-edge apple cider, cranberry, or orange juice? Add that as part of your liquid.
- Citrus fruits: Grab an orange, clementines, lemon, grapefruit, even a lime would work! By the way, you can also use the peels for fragrance.
- Cranberries: Frozen or fresh cranberries will work great here!
- Ginger: Consider using a few nubs of fresh ginger; while at it, you might want to make my Chai tea concentrate!
- Cinnamon sticks: While you can use ground cinnamon, cinnamon sticks will give you the longest, best scent.
- Whole Spices: Consider using whole clove, allspice, whole nutmeg, star anise, cardamom pods and even peppercorns. You may also use ¼ teaspoon of above spices; including ground nutmeg.
- Fresh Herbs: Think of some of the winter herbs, like a sprig of rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, sage, basil, mint and even lavender or other dried flowers. Be creative, too, and use pine needles, great for a Christmas simmer pot.
- Got a used vanilla bean? Use it!
- Essential Oil: Amp up the aroma, ditch the scented candles and put in a few drops of your favorite essential oil.
- Fresh water
Be creative, I didn’t have oranges this time, so they aren’t in there, I did however; have some expired apple cider, so I added that as part of my liquid.
If you have an old dried-out vanilla bean pod or one you used for a recipe, toss it in there! Bottom line: simmering herbs, spices, and fruit for aroma makes your home smell plain ol’ great!
How to make DIY stovetop potpourri
Simply slice, snip, fill, and toss in your desired ingredients into a small saucepan, or go big and use a Dutch oven or large pot (it works great as a fragrant humidifier, too!).
Fill the pot with water (or expired apple juice, orange juice, etc.) and bring to a boil on the stove top, then reduce heat to low heat to simmer. You can also use a mini-crockpot.
Ta-da! Instant homemade simmering spices so that your whole house smells amazing! Keep your eye on it throughout the day, and add water or liquid (due to evaporation) to cover the ingredients so they don’t dry out.
That’s it! Change it up as you like, let me know what you put into your fall simmering spices! Save this recipe for my Christmas simmering spices!
How to gift this fall simmer pot recipe
Make up some cute holiday gift bags of these simmering spices for neighbor or hostess gifts! Simply place the larger items in the bottom of a cellophane bag, then put the remaining items on top. Tie it all up and attach my free printable gift tag from the kitchen of….gift tag for a personalized touch.
I recommend you unsliced the apple, lemon, and orange, but you knew that. 😜 You can also gift using dried orange slices, dried apples, or lemons. Tie it with a twist tie and then a ribbon or string and attach instructions for simmering.
I found these cute little berry baskets on Amazon, but you could also use a jar, mason jars or even wrap in parchment paper. Be on the lookout for fun little things like this to place a package of cookies, candies, etc. Check out all of my gift ideas from the kitchen!
Simmer Pot Recipe FAQs
A fall simmer pot will last all day—just check the water level and add more as needed. You can usually get several hours of goodness. If you don’t let it dry out you can even cool it down and reuse it the next day.
You can reuse your simmer pot 2-3 times depending on the ingredients and how long you simmered it. After each use let it cool, store it in the fridge and reheat when you’re ready. Citrus peels and spices hold up well but the scent will fade each time.
Nah! You’ll want to leave the lid off so all those warm fall scents can fill your home. Simmering uncovered allows the steam (and the fragrance) to escape and create that cozy feeling.
In my experience sweeter apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji or Gala give off the best aroma in a simmer pot. They release a nice subtle sweetness that pairs perfect with the spices. But honestly any apple you have on hand will do!
Check out these other fabulous Fall Recipes!
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 apple slices
- 1-2 lemon slices
- 1-2 orange slices optional, but try and use one citrus
- 1-2 [cinnamon sticks]
- 1-2 teaspoons [whole cloves]
- 1 teaspoon [whole allspice] optional
- ½- 1 teaspoon [pumpkin pie spice]
- 1 vanilla bean optional (can sub. 1 teaspoon [vanilla bean paste] or vanilla extract if desired)
- 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1-2 [bay leaves] fresh or dried
- water to fill the pot
Instructions
- For Simmering Spices/Potpourri
- Simply slice, snip, fill and toss in your desired ingredients into a small pot. Fill pot with water (or expired apple juice or orange juice) and bring to a simmer on the stovetop (or in a mini-crockpot). Replenish water as it evaporates. Do not leave unattended.
Assemble for Gifting
- In a cellophane bag, place the larger fruit items first (whole, not sliced) followed by the spices.
- Wrap with pretty ribbon or twine and tag giving instructions on how to simmer.
- That’s it! Change it up as you like, let me know what you put into your fall simmering spices! Love these, try my Christmas Simmering Spices as well!
Notes
Nutrition
Rate & Comment