Want to make your house smell like you’ve been baking all day, but don’t actually want to bake all day? This simmering potpourri recipe is for you! Using fruit and spices, you can create a stovetop simmer pot with the warm, cozy scents of fall and Christmas. Your house will smell amazing with hardly any effort.
I simply love the scents that go along with fall and the holiday season: pine, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, hot apple cider; they’re warm, cozy and inviting. Simmering potpourri is simply the addition of various fruits and spices to a pot of simmering water. As the simmer pot steams on the stovetop, the aroma from the mixture fills the air. Today I’m sharing a simmer pot recipe that will make your home smell like you’ve been baking all day, but it only takes a minute to throw together.
What You Need for Simmering Potpourri
Affiliate links may be used. Please see our advertising disclosure for more information.
Ingredients for Simmering Potpourri
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 Tbsp. Whole Cloves
- 1 Naval Orange or 2 Cutie Oranges (you can use the whole orange and cut it into slices, or just use the peels)
- 1/2 Cup Cranberries
- 1 Vanilla Bean (or 1-2 tsp. Vanilla Extract)
Supplies Need for A Stovetop Simmer Pot
Other Things You Can Add to Simmering Potpourri to Make Your House Smell Good
While I am using cinnamon, cloves, oranges, cranberries, and vanilla to make this simmering potpourri recipe, you can certainly experiment with other ingredients as well.
Fruit for Simmering Potpourri
- Lemon– Whether you choose to use lemon slices or lemon peels, both will add a bright, fresh note to your simmer pot
- Apple– Apple slices are a perfect addition to simmering potpourri for fall.
- Apple Juice or Cider– Add a splash of apple juice or cider to your simmering potpourri for a stronger apple scent
Spices for A Stovetop Simmer Pot
- Pine
- Rosemary– Whole sprigs or dried leaves
- Bay Leaves
- Nutmeg– Grated
- Allspice
- Ginger– Fresh slices or grated
So many possibilities!
How to Make A Stovetop Simmering Potpourri
Choose your combination of ingredients and place them into a stock pot. Fill the pot with enough water to come one inch from the top of the pan. Heat your pot on high until the mixture starts to simmer, then turn the heat to low and allow it to simmer as long as you’d like. See below for a couple things to keep in mind.
IMPORTANT: Always keep an eye on your simmer pot! As the water burns off, you will need to add more to the pot. If do not continue adding water, your potpourri will burn to the bottom of the pan… and your house is not going to smell so cozy anymore. Also, never leave your house with the potpourri simmering!
Want more ideas for creating cozy scents for your home? Check out these ideas!
Common Questions About Homemade Simmering Potpourri
How long Can I Simmer Potpourri on the Stovetop?
This will depend on the size of the pot you are using. The larger the pot, the longer it will last. As mentioned above, you need to watch your simmering potpourri very carefully; as the water level gets low, make sure to add more water to the pot to avoid it burning to the bottom. As long as you continue to add water, you can keep the simmer pot going. As an extra reminder, never leave your house with the simmer pot simmering on the stovetop!
Can I Reuse My Simmering Potpourri Ingredients?
You can continue using the same potpourri several times. Make sure to store the ingredients in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you use it again. (Remember to add more water each time you decide to simmer). If you notice the smell is off, or if the ingredients are molding, it’s time to toss them and start fresh.
Can I Simmer Dry Potpourri?
While I would never simmer potpourri found at your local retailer (as there are added perfumes and I’m not sure they would do well with simmering), there are simmering potpourris you can buy online if you’d prefer. Here are a few I found on Etsy:
Simmering Potpourri
Ingredients
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 Tbsp Whole Cloves
- 1 Orange
- ½ Cup Cranberries
- 1 Vanilla Bean
Supplies
- Stock Pot
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a stock pot and fill pot with water (until there is about 1 inch to the rim)
- Heat pot on high heat (on stovetop) until the mixture starts to simmer
- Turn the heat to low and allow the potpourri to simmer
- Keep an eye on the simmering pot as you will need to continue adding water to prevent the contents from burning to the bottom of the pot
Love it? Pin it!
Hi Erin!
Can you tell me if these wax melts really smell up the house? I have been buying wax melts for years and this past year
none of them, and I mean none of them, seem to have the fragrance they had years ago.
Thank you!
I love the smells of Christmas and have been trying to find candles or melts that will give me this as I live in Australia and I could not stand the stove going all day. Any recipes for Christmas melts?
Hi Margaret- I do have a recipe for wax melts that you can find using the link below. However, instead of using rosemary and lavender essential oils, you could replace them with orange and thieves essential oils (Thieves has both cinnamon and cloves in it and smells amazing!) Also, if you have a diffuser for essential oils, you could just add these 2 oils to it and it would work as well. Hope that helps 🙂
Here’s the link to the wax melts: https://www.lemonslavenderandlaundry.com/rosemary-lavender-wax-melts/
And here are some affiliate links to the oils if you are interested:
Orange Oil: http://amzn.to/2bQKZf7
Thieves Oil: http://amzn.to/2bixzax
Thank you I will be trying these this Christmas
OMG! I love this recipe. I often have one simmering when I’m making fish or frying anything. I love this aromatic combination and am thinking it’ll be simmering on my stove this Thursday for Thanksgiving!! Pinning and sharing. 🙂
Great idea to simmer something wonderful when you’re cooking not so pleasant smelling food, like fish! I have been using this recipe every day recently. Gotta love the smells of Christmas!