How To Freshen Your Home With A Simmer Pot (Stovetop Potpourri)

I’m super scent-sitive but I still want my house to smell good. You’re never going to find me using an air freshener and I’m even picky about my scented candles. When I want to freshen my home (especially in the winter) I love to make a simmer pot.

What Is A Simmer Pot?

Simmer pots are sometimes called stovetop potpourri. Basically it’s a simmering pot of citrus, spices, and other things to make your house smell amazing. It’s a natural way to freshen your home without chemicals. And if you live in a dry climate, it also adds a little moisture and humidity to the air.

Components and Ingredients:

There’s no real “recipe” but I like to include items from the following categories.

• CITRUS. Use oranges, limes or grapefruit (or all three). Just slice them up.
• OTHER FRUIT. Depending on what I have in the fridge, I’ll sometimes add an apple or a handful of cranberries.
• VANILLA. A tablespoon of vanilla extract (measure with your heart.)
• WHOLE SPICES. Try cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, bay leaves or even whole peppercorns. Star anise are a beautiful, fun addition with their star shaped pods. I’ve also been known to toss in a chunk of ginger root. (You can substitute ground spices – they’ll still work but your simmer pot won’t be as pretty.)
• WOODY THINGS. Rosemary sprigs, or pine cuttings add a nice, woodsy scent.
• WATER. Good old tap water. You could also substitute apple cider.

Watch Me Make A Simmer Pot

Assembling A Simmer Pot

1. Add all of the stovetop potpourri ingredients to a large pot or slow cooker.
2. Cover with water.
3. Bring to a gentle simmer
4. Simmer as long as you would like, adding water as needed.

Tips & Tricks

• Adjust the heat on your stovetop so that the water is just barely simmering (small bubbles rising to the top). You want the water to simmer, not boil.
• Add more water as the original water evaporates.
• It won’t look pretty but if you keep adding water you can use a simmer pot for multiple days.
• You can also make a simmer pot in a slow cooker. Just leave the lid cracked a little bit and keep an eye on the water levels so it doesn’t run dry.

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