11 Simmer Pot Recipes to Make Your Home Smell Like Fall (2024)

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Cambria Bold

Cambria Bold

Cambria Bold is the Executive Editor of Cubby, and one of Apartment Therapy Media’s first full-time editors from way back when. She was the founding Design and Lifestyle Editor for Kitchn and the Managing Editor for Apartment Therapy’s green living site, Re-Nest (RIP). After a few years offline and then working elsewhere, she’s back to share ideas about design, kids, and family life. It’s helpful that she now has two little kids and lots of thoughts about all those things. She lives with said kids and their father in St. Paul, MN.

updated Aug 31, 2023

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11 Simmer Pot Recipes to Make Your Home Smell Like Fall (1)

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The season of scented candles has begun! While “pumpkin spice latte” and “vanilla bean frosting” might sound scrumptious and inviting, the truth is many scented candles are made of petroleum-based paraffin with dubious artificial scents. A more natural alternative to candles with artificial scents is to do what your grandmother did: Simmer a pot of spices on your stove!

Quick Overview

How to Make a Fall Simmer Pot

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, then add ingredients like apples, oranges, cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger, cranberries, nutmeg, vanilla, and more, and keep the water at a simmer to fill your home with a beautiful autumnal aroma.

Turn on the heat and fill your pot with ingredients like cinnamon sticks, apple peels, orange rinds, cloves, apple juice, vanilla, anise, and nutmeg, and in no time at all this stovetop potpourri will have your home smelling like you’ve been baking all day.

How to Create a Simmer Pot

Fill a small saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Add the ingredients from your favorite recipe, continue to boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer. Keep an eye on it and add water as needed, usually every 30 minutes or so.

You can also use a Crock-Pot or other slow cooker to create a simmer pot: Fill the pot most of the way with water, add your ingredients, put on the lid, then turn the slow cooker to high. When there’s steam rolling off the lid, take the lid off and set the slow cooker to a low or simmer setting. Add water as needed to keep it at least halfway full.

Simmer pots are also a great way to give second life to your food discards. Rather than composting them, get into the habit of saving your orange peels, lemon and lime peels, and apple and pear skins. Keeping your scraps will pay scrumptious-smelling dividends in the future.

Simmer pots are more of an art than a science. You can remix these recipes below to your taste or your pantry. It’s OK to leave ingredients out, go heavy-handed with the scents you like, or substitute things in the recipe for other scents you like better (or to suit what you have on hand).

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11 Fall Simmer Pot Recipes to Try

1. Lemon & Orange Simmer Pot

  • Peel from 1 lemon (or lemon slices)
  • Peel from 1 orange (or orange slices)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 tablespoons whole cloves

2. Creamsicle Simmer Pot

  • A few drops vanilla extract
  • Orange peels or orange slices

3. Lavender Simmer Pot

  • 1 cup dried lavender (or lavender essential oil)
  • 1 teaspoon anise
  • 1 tablespoon nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
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4. Cinnamon Apple Simmer Pot

  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Apple peels
  • Orange rinds
  • Whole cloves

5. Bay Leaf Simmer Pot

  • 5 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon whole cloves
  • 2 sticks cinnamon

6. Colorful Cranberry Simmer Pot

  • Orange slices
  • Lemon slices
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • A dash of nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cloves
  • A handful of cranberries
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7. Pumpkin Spice Simmer Pot

  • 4 tablespoons apple cider
  • A generous sprinkle of pumpkin spice seasoning
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Ground nutmeg
  • A drop of vanilla extract
  • Whole cloves

8. Rosemary & Orange Simmer Pot

  • 1 bunch fresh rosemary
  • Leftover orange peels
  • 2 cinnamon sticks

9. Chai Spice Simmer Pot

  • 1 tablespoon cardamom pods
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tablespoon whole cloves
  • Ginger root, dried ginger pieces, or ginger powder
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10. Apple Pie Simmer Pot

  • Apple peels or slices
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Fresh ginger, dried ginger pieces, or ginger powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

11. Coffee Shop Simmer Pot

  • 1/4 cup coffee beans
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cinnamon stick

    Do you have a favorite simmer pot recipe? Tell us below!

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11 Simmer Pot Recipes to Make Your Home Smell Like Fall (2024)

FAQs

What can I put in my simmer pot to make my house smell good? ›

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, then add ingredients like apples, oranges, cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger, cranberries, nutmeg, vanilla, and more, and keep the water at a simmer to fill your home with a beautiful autumnal aroma.

What can I put in boiling water to make my house smell good? ›

Natural way to make your home smell amazing. For this recipe you need 3 cups of water, one sliced lemon, one sliced lime, 2 cups of fresh Rosemary, one and 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract. and 2 cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce to simmer and continue to simmer on low.

How long does a fall simmer pot last? ›

If there are no fresh fruit slices in your recipe, simply turn off the stove and cover the pot with a lid in between uses. Reheat when you need another dose of stovetop potpourri. According to the Happier Homemaker, with this method, your simmer pot can last four days.

What is the best fall scent for your house? ›

Apple Cinnamon: The sweet and tart aroma of apples with the warmth of cinnamon is quintessential fall. Vanilla: Comforting and cozy, vanilla pairs well with other spices and autumn notes. Maple Syrup: Sweet and syrupy, reminiscent of pancake breakfasts on cool fall mornings.

Can you boil ground cinnamon to make your house smell good? ›

But if you'd rather get a more natural cinnamon scent for the home, you can create a natural fragrance using cinnamon powder. Bustle recommends creating a cinnamon smell by boiling a few tablespoons of the powder with some orange slices and allowing the fragrance to fill the home.

How many times can you reuse a simmer pot? ›

A: Depending on what ingredients you've used in your simmer pot, you can reuse the same one for several days! Simply continue to replace the water as needed.

Do simmer pots really work? ›

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.

What do professional house cleaners use to make house smell good? ›

Housekeepers have several methods to make homes smell good, depending on personal preference and the type of cleaning required. These methods range from using natural scents such as essential oils and herbs to more commercial options like air fresheners and cleaning products with added fragrances.

How do I make my house smell cinnamon? ›

You can create a cinnamon-scented candle using candle wax, a wick, a jar and some cinnamon powder. Simply melt the wax, add a teaspoon of cinnamon and pour it into a jar with a wick to set. Once you burn it, the cinnamon scent will be released and will fill the room.

Can I use powdered cinnamon in a simmer pot? ›

And to give it a nice, rich aroma, you'll need: 2 cinnamon sticks (or 1 tsp ground cinnamon), 2 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Here's how it's done: Slice your orange and apple (keep the peel on both). Add all your ingredients to a small pot and fill with water until it's about ¾ full.

Do you leave a simmer pot on all day? ›

You can keep you Autumn Simmer Pot on the stove all day long if you like! Just remember to keep adding water to prevent the ingredients from burning, and never leave the house while it's simmering on the stovetop.

Are simmer pots toxic? ›

While many of the ingredients in simmer pots are edible, they are used in such high concentrations that they could be harmful to ingest. You have a few options for discarding or reusing simmer pot water.

How do you boil orange peels and cinnamon for scent? ›

Instructions:
  1. start with a pot of water add your orange peels, apple cores and other fruit or flower scraps.
  2. add some cranberries, some whole clove, a dash of vanilla, and some cinnamon.
  3. bring the pot to a boil and then simmer on low adding water to the pot when needed.
Jan 31, 2022

How do you boil vinegar to reduce house smell? ›

Use a vinegar steam.

Similar to boiling lemons or making stovetop potpourri, vinegar steam is a great way to neutralize potent smells. Add half a cup of vinegar to one cup of water and simmer on the stove while you cook (or after) to absorb any smells in the air.

How to make your house smell like cinnamon with cinnamon sticks? ›

Mix dried oranges, tangerine, lemons, grapefruit skins (small pieces), cinnamon sticks, vanilla and whole cloves, put mixture in a small pot and add water and bring to a boil and, then simmer and the smell will fill your house like it's Christmas every day. You can add star anise and cardamom, as well.

How do you smell good in extreme heat? ›

5 Tips To Smell Amazing All Summer Long
  1. Moisturise, and then moisturise some more!
  2. Wear natural fabrics.
  3. Use an alcohol-free deodorant.
  4. Keep scented wipes handy.
  5. Layer your scents.
Nov 30, 2023

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