This time of year, scent is an important part of my home. Seasonal aromas make autumn feel more alive and more celebrated. It makes coming home all the more enjoyable and brings added seasonal awareness to the two teens in my household. To achieve this, many of us DIY folks craft up our favorite diffuser blends, wax melts, and DIY candle recipes. While I like to make all of those things, I have recently added simmer pots to my repertoire. I have really enjoyed this new avenue of bringing fresh and fragrant smells to my home, so I thought I would share some of my family’s favorite combinations. What is a Simmer Pot? As the name suggests, a simmer pot is a hardy pot that is filled with fresh water and aromatic herbs and spices, then left to simmer for several hours so they emit their natural fragrance. You may have also heard them referred to as stovetop potpourri or simmering pots. They are all the same thing. There are, of course, pros and cons to simmer pots. Here’s my experience with them—the good and the bad.
Pros of Simmer PotsCons of Simmer Pots
Simmer Pot Recipes
Fall Simmer Pot
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 4 organic cinnamon sticks, broken
- 2 Tbsp. dried organic ginger root
- 1 Tbsp dried organic clove buds
- 1 Tbsp. dried organic allspice
- 1 Tbsp. dried organic orange peel
- 1 Tbsp. organic peppercorns
- 4 organic star anise pods
Energy and Focus Simmer Pot
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 1/4 cup dried organic rosemary leaf
- 2 Tbsp. dried organic basil leaf
- 2 Tbsp. dried organic ginger root
- 1 Tbsp. dried organic oregano leaf
- 1Tbsp. dried organic sage leaf
- 4 organic bay leaves
- Add water and botanicals to pot and set on stovetop burner (or woodstove).
- Put on medium-low heat until it comes to a gentle boil.
- Lower heat and allow to diffuse for as long as desired.
- The heat of each stove is a little different, so begin checking on it every 45 minutes to see how the water level is. Once you get a better sense of your stove settings, you can extend this time.
Best Herbs and Spices for Stovetop Potpourri
The world is your oyster when it comes to stovetop potpourri. Here are some of my favorite aromatic herbs to use, but I encourage you to get creative.
- Allspice
- Anise Star Pods
- Basil Leaf
- Bay Leaf
- Cardamom
- Cedar Leaf
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Eucalyptus
- Ginger Root
- Lavender
- Lemon Balm
- Lemongrass
- Orange Peel
- Oregano
- Peppercorns
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
- Sage Leaf
- Spearmint
- Thyme
- Tonka Beans
I hope these tips and recipes offer a starting point to create your own simmer pot blends. If you’d like us to share more simmer pot recipes, please comment below with the types of blends you’d be interested in!
Want to Learn About Other Ways to Freshen Up Your Space?
Check Out These Tips and Recipes for a Fresh-Smelling Home
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- DIY Spice Cream Candle Recipe
- Sweater Weather Perfume Blend
Topics: Aromatherapy, Herbal Gift Ideas, Recipes
Written by Jessicka on November 2, 2023
Jessicka Nebesni is the Senior Marketing Strategist and Herbal Liason for Mountain Rose Herbs. She is always working towards sharing the most educational, empowering, and useful resources with the Mountain Rose Herbs community. Having practiced Macrobiotic food preparations in California, beekeeping in Oregon, and making herbal crafts for local farmers markets in New Jersey, she has a wide variety of experiences and knowledge to share. Her passions include preserving food, gardening, practicing herbal wellness, making DIY skin and body care recipes, and living a lifestyle of minimal impact on the Earth.