Summer Simmer Pot Recipe | Simmering Potpourri for Spring & Summer

As winter draws to a close, many find themselves yearning for spring: flowers blooming, sun shining… grilling out on the deck. But sometimes spring is slow to arrive. On cool, rainy spring days, I find that filling my home with the scents of summer helps lift my mood as I look forward to the warmer days ahead. Here is one of my favorite summer simmer pot recipes; perfect for both spring and summer.

If you happen to arrive on this post during the fall and winter months, check out our fall simmer pot recipe here.

 

When people are asked about their favorite smells, you often hear answers like, “fresh cut grass”, “mountain air”, “rain”, “lilacs”, “mint”, “citrus” or “sea breezes”. What if you could capture those scents and fill your home with their aroma? That is exactly what a simmer pot does. Simply toss in fruits, herbs, flowers, etc. to naturally freshen your home.

What You Need for A Summer Simmer Pot

 

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Ingredients Needed for A Summer Stovetop Potpourri

• Lemon
• Fresh Mints Leaves
• Ginger Root
• Vanilla Extract– I actually prefer to use vanilla beans in simmering potpourri, but I didn’t have one on hand, so I just used vanilla extract instead.

Supplies Needed for A Summer Simmering Potpourri

• Dutch Oven or Stock Pot

Other Summer Simmer Pot Ideas

The items listed above are what I used to create my spring/summer simmer pot, however, there are many other options you could try. Here are a few that come to mind:

Fruit for Simmering Potpourri

Orange | Grapefruit | Lime | Coconut (or Coconut Extract)

Herbs for Stovetop Simmer Pot

Basil | Rosemary | Thyme

Spices for a Summer Simmer Pot

Cinnamon Sticks | Black Peppercorns

Flowers for a Spring Simmer Pot

Lavender Buds | Rose Petals

How to Make A Spring / Summer Simmer Pot

Start by choosing a combination of goodies to put into your summer simmer pot. As you consider what to add, remember to think about scent combinations that work well together: Lime and coconut, for example; or lemon and lavender. You want to keep this rather simple or you could end up creating an aroma with too much going on.

Place your chosen items (excluding any extracts) into a Dutch oven or stock pot.

 

As a reminder, here is what I added to my summer simmer pot: 1 sliced lemon, handful of fresh mint, 3-4 inch piece of ginger root (sliced into 1/2″ pieces)… I’ll be adding the vanilla extract later.

Once your ingredients have been added, fill the pot 2/3 of the way with water.

 

Bring to a boil on your stovetop, then reduce the heat to keep the water at a gentle simmer.

It is at this point you can add extract (if using); in my case, I added vanilla extract.

 

Important Things to Keep in Mind When Making A Stovetop Simmer Pot

• Keep an Eye on Your Simmer Pot- As the simmer pot steams on the stovetop, it will be losing quite a bit of water, so keep on eye on your pot and add water if the level starts getting low, otherwise all those fresh summer scents are going to burn to the bottom.
• Never Leave the House With Simmering Potpourri on the Stovetop- I think this is self-explanatory 🙂

Want More Ways to Freshen Your Home This Spring and Summer? Check Out These Ideas!

Spring Diffuser Blends | DIY Room Spray | DIY Wax Melts | DIY Linen Spray

Common Questions About Stovetop Simmer Pots

How Long Can I Simmer A Simmer Pot?

This answer is going to depend on a few factors, mainly the size of your pot. A larger pot, with more water, is going to be able to simmer longer than a smaller pot. As mentioned above, keep an eye on the simmer pot and continue to add water as needed. As long as you are adding water, you can keep the simmer pot going as long as you’d like.

Can I Reuse the Items in My Simmer Pot?

You could certainly reuse your simmer pot ingredients on another day if you’d like, but I wouldn’t recommend using them to prepare food 🙂 If you want to reuse the ingredients for a future simmer pot, allow them to cool, then place them in a storage container and refrigerate. Remember, many of the ingredients used in simmer pot recipes are perishable and won’t last more than a day or two. If you notice mold or an unpleasant scent, toss the ingredients and start fresh. Also, be aware that the scent may not be as strong when reusing the ingredients.

 

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