Fragrant Home: 13 Simmering Pot Recipes

This is a lovely way to make your home smell warm and inviting. Just fill a pot with water, add your favorite ingredients and simmer all day. This also helps humidify the home a bit.

The recipes below are just guidelines, you can use different amounts and mix up ingredients as you like. Experiment to find your favorite smells.

Save: Orange, lemon and lime peels, apple skins (dry them out first before storing in a container).

Directions

Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the ingredients from your favorite recipe, boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer all day. Top up water as needed.
Caution: Set your timer for 30 minutes so you remember to top up with water. You don’t want the pot burning dry. Do not leave the house with this left heating on the stove.

Simmering Pot Recipes

Recipe #1

Cinnamon sticks
Apple peels
Orange rinds
Whole cloves

Recipe #2

Apple juice
Cinnamon sticks
Whole cloves

Recipe #3

Vanilla (a few drops)
Orange peels

Recipe #4 – Christmas Potpourri Simmering Pot

3 sprigs evergreen or handful pine needles
2 cinnamon sticks
2 TBS whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 pieces orange rind
2 pieces lemon rind

Recipe #5

2 TBS whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
5 star anise
1 orange peel

Recipe #6

Whole cloves
1 tsp nutmeg

Recipe #7

Peel from a whole orange
Whole cloves
2 Cinnamon sticks

Recipe #8

5 bay leaves
1 TBS whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon

Recipe #9

Peel from 1 lemon
Peel from 1 orange
2 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
2 TBS whole cloves

Recipe #10

1/8 cup cloves
1/8 cup allspice
2 cinnamon sticks

Recipe #11

6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp vanilla

Recipe #12

1 cup dried lavender
1 tsp anise
1 TBS nutmeg
1 TBS whole cloves
1 Cinnamon stick

Recipe #13

2 sticks cinnamon
Peel from one lemon
Fresh rosemary
Whole cloves

Recipe For the Oven:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take a piece of tinfoil (a few inches wide), pour a teaspoon of vanilla on top and place the foil in the oven. Turn off oven and prop the door open a bit.
Fill a loaf pan with water and your favorite recipe from above. Set in oven on high heat until it starts filling your home with lovely smells. Turn off oven, then prop the door open.
Tips

Storage: You can refrigerate your simmering recipe and reuse daily for up to one week. Just keep adding water as needed.
Frugal Idea: For apple juice, cranberry juice, herbs and spices that are outdated, don’t throw out–just add to your simmering pot.
To Encourage Appetites: Make fresh bread or fry up an onion or set an onion in the oven to heat. The smell will make everyone good and hungry at meal time .