Are you looking for a natural way to scent your home? If you are, then you’ve come to the right place.
Simmer pots are a fantastic way to scent your home in a natural way, and it means you don’t have to pay for expensive scented candles to create a beautiful scent in your home.
Autumn is by far my favourite season of all. For me it has such a magical feeling. I remember coming home late one afternoon as the days were drawing closer to Christmas, lights on, fire burning in our open fire place, and one of my Mom’s amazing simmer pots bubbling away, our home smelling like a wonderful combination of Autumn and Christmas.
I’m sure this didn’t happen all the time, but it lives in my childhood memory as if it was a regular occurrence. It’s strange how our minds work. One of my teenagers remembers me taking him and his brothers to the park every day. It certainly wasn’t every day, but in his memory, it was every day. That soothed my Mama’s heart, as just before he said that I was berating myself for not doing enough with my children. The reason I’m sharing this with you?
Be kind to yourself, you are enough! I know I’m way too hard on myself, and I expect you may be too.
Have a go at making your own simmer pot. The whole process is so amazingly therapeutic, and gives you a feeling of immense satisfaction to know that you created that beautiful smell.
There are no rules to what goes in a simmer pot, use what you love, experiment a little, and use what you have on hand.
You can use either a pan on your stove top, or a slow cooker / crock pot. For me personally, a slow cooker is easier and more versatile as I can move it if I need to, and I don’t need to check the water level as often.
These are the ingredients I’m using today:
Cinnamon Sticks
Vanilla Pods (I used Madagascan vanilla from Amazon. see link at the bottom of my post.)
Apples
Orange Peel
Whole Cloves
I love to add Star Anise and bay leaves, but I’ve run out of them, so I’m going with what I’ve got. I usually use oranges, but the two oranges I had in mind for this simmer pot appear to have been eaten by someone, so I’m using Satsuma’s. There is no right or wrong way to prepare your apples. Just go with what you want.
I had to break the cinnamon sticks as the slow cooker I’m using is a small one.
I broke the cinnamon pod into smaller pieces, partly to fit better in my pot, and partly to distribute their scent more evenly.
If you don’t want your scent too strong then go easy on the cloves, or skip them completely.
Fill your slow cooker about 3/4 full of water, then add your ingredients. This is a perfect way to use up any fruit that isn’t at it’s best.
Start your slow cooker on high with the lid on until the water is hot, then remove the lid and turn heat to low.
Don’t worry about this spoiling your slow cooker. Everything you’ll be using is edible and perfectly natural.
If you want to use a pan on your stove top then just fill a large pan with water, about 3/4 full, and then add the ingredients. Put on a low heat and soon your home will be filled with a heavenly aroma. When my husband came home he said it was like walking into a Lush shop. Result 😍
Occasionally check the water lever in your slow cooker or pan to see if you need to top up with water and give the ingredients a stir.
When you’ve finished with your simmer pot for the day allow it to cool. You can put your potpourri in a covered container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. I use my potpourri simmer pots for up to 6 hours a day.
I would love if you commented on how you got on with your own simmer pots, and what ingredients you used.
I got the Cinnamon sticks and Vanilla pods from Amazon, but you can source them from other places.
Have fun.
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