5 Easy Simmer Pot Recipes: How to Make Stovetop Potpourri

Last Updated on December 5, 2024

If you’re looking for a natural, non-toxic way to make your home smell amazing, try homemade stovetop potpourri! Please enjoy my five favorite easy and delicious-smelling simmer pot recipes. This post also includes a list of the best simmer pot ingredients to use, tips on exactly how to make and use it, and frequently asked questions like how long they last, pet safety, and more.

Simmer pots, also known as stovetop potpourri, can be used to create inviting and delicious aromas any time of year – not just the holidays. Yet the cozy combinations of citrus, apples, cinnamon, and pumpkin spices are absolutely perfect for fall, Christmas, and the winter holiday season. I especially love to make stovetop potpourri before having guests over!

Note: This post was originally published in December 2019.

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What are Simmer Pots?

Simmer pots are made by combining water and natural aromatic ingredients (such as fresh or dried fruit, herbs, and spices) and heating them together on the stove, hence the name stovetop potpourri. Often simmering for many hours, simmer pots release scented steam that fills the air with delicious smells – like natural air freshener!

Stovetop potpourri is a great non-toxic alternative to burning scented candles or using other forms of artificial fragrance, especially for folks with asthma or allergies.

Making simmer pots is very inexpensive and sustainable, especially if you use ingredients you already have available in your home or garden! Homemade stovetop potpourri kits are also wonderful DIY gifts.

RELATED: See how to make holiday stovetop potpourri gift kits – including five DRY simmer pot recipes suitable for mason jars, and free printable gift tags!

Popular Simmer Pot Ingredients

Before I share my top simmer pot recipes below, here is a list of aromatic ingredients you can use to make homemade stovetop potpourri. Feel free to mix and match things you have readily available at home. Have fun and get creative!

Fruit

• Oranges, fresh or dried orange slices. Fresh fruit offers the most scent!
• Fresh apples or dehydrated apples
• Lemon slices
• Fresh cranberries
• Other citrus, peels, or zest – including limes, grapefruit, mandarin, blood oranges and more
• Pears

Spices

• Cinnamon sticks, or ground cinnamon powder
• Nutmeg
• Fresh ginger, or ginger powder 
• Cloves, whole or ground
• Cardamom pods
• Whole star anise
• Pumpkin spice seasoning

Herbs and Greenery

• Fresh or dried rosemary
• Mint, thyme, lemon balm, lemon verbena, oregano, or other aromatic herbs
• Sprigs of pine or cedar, or fresh sappy pine cones
• Bay leaves
• Lavender buds
• Chamomile flowers
• Rose petals

Other

• Essential oils. We like these certified organic essential oils.
• Loose-leaf chai tea
• Maple syrup
• Candy canes
• Vanilla beans or vanilla extract. If you’re going to get fancy and use whole vanilla beans, scoop out the inside to use for baking and only simmer the outer pod/skin. There is no sense in wasting all the good stuff, since the skin alone provides a rich sweet aroma!

5 Simmer Pot Recipes

Each of the simmer pot recipes below is based on an average 3 to 4 quart saucepan (scale up or down as needed). Fill the pot about halfway full of water, and then add the following ingredients.

I’ve provided amounts as a general guide, but exact measurements are not important! See more tips on exactly how to use simmer pots in the following section.

Simplified versions of these stovetop potpourri recipes smell wonderful as well – such as rosemary and lemon, or orange and cinnamon sticks, so feel free to skip some ingredients if you don’t have them.

1) Apple Pumpkin Pie

• 1 or 2 whole fresh apples, cut into slices
• 1 lemon or orange, sliced
• 2 or 3 cinnamon sticks or 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp Pumpkin spice seasoning OR 1 Tbsp of whole cloves + 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• Optional: 2 Tbsp of pumpkin puree

2) Warm Citrus Ginger

• 2 fresh oranges, cut into slices
• Ginger. Use about a thumb-size piece of fresh ginger (cut into slices or grated), or 1 teaspoon of ginger powder
• 2 or 3 whole cinnamon stocks, or 2 tsp ground cinnamon powder
• 2 or 3 whole star anise
• 1 Tbsp whole cloves
• Vanilla. 2 tsp of vanilla extract or 1 whole vanilla bean
• Optional: 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries

I hate to play favorites, but this orange simmer pot recipe is at the top of my list!

3) Oh Christmas Tree

• 1 cup of fresh cranberries
• 1 fresh orange, grapefruit, or lemon – sliced
• A few sprigs of fresh cedar or pine (small Christmas tree cuttings) or rosemary
• 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks, or 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp whole cloves and/or a few whole star anise
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 or 2 small candy canes, or 10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil

4) Refreshing Rosemary

• Several pieces of fresh rosemary, or 2 Tbsp dried rosemary
• 1 whole lemon or 2 limes (sliced)
• Ginger. Use about a thumb-size piece of fresh ginger (cut into slices or grated) or 1 teaspoon of dry ground ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Optional: 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried

This refreshing rosemary simmer pot recipe is great for any season. To me, it smells like a clean home… minus the chemical cleaning products! Learn how to make natural homemade lemon and vinegar cleaning spray here.

6) Lavender Mellow Mood

• 1/2 cup dried lavender buds or 1 cup fresh (see tips on how to harvest fresh lavender)
• 2 or 3 Tbsp of dried chamomile flowers, or 1 to 2 teabags of chamomile tea
• 1 lemon, orange, or grapefruit – sliced
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 whole vanilla bean
• 4 or 5 whole star anise or cardamom pods
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• Recommended: 10 to 15 drops of lavender essential oil (pet safe)

How to Make and Use Stovetop Potpourri

• Once you have your chosen simmer pot recipe, combine the ingredients in a pot about halfway full of water. Again, exact measurements don’t matter.
  
  
• On the stovetop, turn up the heat to bring everything to a light boil, then reduce to a low simmer. The lower the heat, the longer the simmer pot will last.
  
  
• Leave the lid off to release the aromatic steam. Now, sit back and enjoy the smell that will soon infuse your home!
  
  
• Alternatively, you could make stovetop potpourri in a slow cooker crock pot or your trusty Instant Pot, though you may want to keep the lid halfway on so it doesn’t evaporate too fast. Or, heat your simmer pot on top of a warm wood stove.
  
  
• Add more water as needed to keep stovetop potpourri going for many hours. Even though it doesn’t look very pretty, I use the same simmer pot and ingredients off and on for several days! When not in use, I simply store it on the stove with a lid.
  

CAUTION: Keep an eye on your simmer pot and set a timer if you’re forgetful. If left unattended for too long, the water will evaporate and could burn the pan and simmer pot contents!

Frequently Asked Questions

I wish you could smell it in here!

Now go have fun making some festive simmer pots of your own. Once you do, please come back to let us know what you think and leave a review. Also feel free to ask questions in the comments below. Happy holidays!

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