Natural Stovetop Simmering Scent Recipe for the Holidays
I don’t know about you, but the holidays are coming up FAST! How is it already almost Christmas?! This month has been a busy one with holiday activities. And I have been baking a lot of cookies… and making these simmer scents!!!
I first shared a version of this recipe 4 years ago after my neighbor Katie gifted me a simmer scent in a beautiful glass dish. I have been making them and gifting them ever since!!! I packaged up 50 this month for others! So I thought it was a good time to update my blog post and share my tips if you are making this yourself or gifting it!
First, let’s talk about why I do this and the process. Because it’s more of a process than a recipe. And once you do it one time, you realize how easy and also cozy it is!!
The WHy.
Everyone wants their house to smell nice during the holidays – what is it that sets simmer pots apart from more mainstream methods? The simmer pot is a non-toxic way to make your home smell like the holidays. Instead of burning a scented candle, which oftentimes have added harmful chemicals, you can simmer the pot on the stove for a more natural aroma. It's better for you and makes your home smell wonderful!
Simmer scent packages are also great host or holiday gifts. You can dry out the orange slices in the oven and package up with fresh cranberries, cinnamon sticks, cloves and rosemary and gift it. I think I love to gift it because I first made a simmer pot because of the one gifted to me!
The Ingredients.
There are three essential elements that should go into your simmer pot. And it’s highly customizable!
Fruit - I love fresh cranberry and orange slices.
Spices - cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves give a warm, spice aroma. (If you want it super simple, just use cinnamon sticks!)
Herb - I prefer fresh rosemary.
The Method.
The most common way to prepare simmer pots is by putting your ingredients and water in a pot on the stove and simmering them for as long as you wish. Keep adding water as needed, and the simmer pot can go all day. There is something effortless about just putting a pot on the stove. If you're not into the idea of keeping the stove on all day, use a slow cooker instead and put it on the low setting. The smaller slower cookers (normally meant for dips) can be a great option if you want to use fewer ingredients.
If you are making this for yourself, you don’t need to dry the oranges and can put all of the ingredients in a pot with water and simmer on low on the stove!
As you simmer it, it will turn brownish and the cranberries will pop, that’s okay and normal! You can even reuse the next day, just stick the pot in the fridge overnight and simmer again on the stove the next day. I will get 2-3 days out of a simmer pot, I just refill with water and simmer the next day!
Natural Simmering Stovetop Scent
1 cup cranberries, fresh
3-4 Dried Orange Slices (I dry them out if I am gifting the simmer scent. You thinly slice oranges and bake in oven at 200 degrees for about 3-4 hours). You don’t need to dehydrate the oranges if you are doing this for yourself in your own kitchen! Just use 3-4 slices of fresh orange.
2 whole Cinnamon sticks
Fresh Rosemary (1-2 sprigs)
Optional spices to add: 1 whole star anise, 2-3 whole cloves
Directions:
To simmer yourself: place contents in a pot of water on the stove and let simmer. You can add more water as needed!
To gift: Place the following in individual bags for gifts: 1 cup of cranberries, 3-4 slices of dried oranges, pinch of cloves, 1 Star Anise, 2 cinnamon sticks and a sprig of fresh rosemary.
These Natural Stovetop Simmering Scents make great gifts. If you do it, tag me at @Urban.Apron so I can see!!!!
