16 Simmer Pot Recipes For All Seasons - Home Made Lovely

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Have you been wondering to boil to make your house smell good? Well, I’ve got you! Simmer pots are literally the easiest thing to make and in this post, I’m going to share 16 simmer pot recipes – several for each season – that I love the most. I keep several of these ingredients on hand throughout the year, so I can whip up this potpourri whenever I want to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere!

Clear simmer pot with oranges, cranberries, and cinnamon sticks inside.

I love making my house smell amazing! Using a simmer pot, or stovetop potpourri, is a super easy way to fill my home with delicious and inviting scents. And I’m going to show you how I make them in this post.

Simple Simmer Pot Recipes for Each Season

I’ve chosen each of the ingredients for these homemade simmer pots because they smell so good and home-y on their own. But the combinations of them is what really makes these simmering potpourri recipes smell so delicious.

Note: Simmer pots recipes are more like guidelines or ideas. You can remix them to your liking and change the amounts to suit you!

Fall Simmer Pot Recipes

Apple Cinnamon

apple slices
cinnamon sticks
cloves

Pumpkin Spice

apple cider
pumpkin spice seasoning
cinnamon sticks
ground nutmeg
vanilla extract
whole cloves

Winter Simmer Pot Recipes

Coffee

coffee beans
cinnamon sticks
cardamom, anise, or allspice (optional)

Winter Bonfire

cedar sprigs
pear slices
mesquite wood chips

Warm Winter Citrus

cedar sprigs
bay leaves
rosemary sprigs
clementine slices or peels

Christmas Simmer Pot Recipes

Classic Christmas

orange slices
apple slices
fresh or frozen cranberries
cinnamon sticks
whole cloves
vanilla extract (optional)

Canadian Christmas

cedar sprigs
spruce sprigs
eucalyptus sprigs

Spring Simmer Pot Recipes

Lemon Rosemary (aka William Sonoma)

rosemary sprigs
lemon slices
vanilla extract

Lime Rosemary

rosemary sprigs
lime slices
vanilla extract

Lime Mint & Thyme

lime slices
mint leaves
sprigs of thyme
fresh ginger (optional)

Summer Simmer Pot Recipes

Orange Creamsicle

orange slices or peels
vanilla extract

Strawberry Lemonade

lemon slices
strawberry slices
coconut extract

Mojito

lime slices
mint leaves

Grapefruit Lavender

grapefruit slices
lavender sprigs
almond extract

Cucumber Lime Mint

cucumber slices
lime slices
mint leaves
ginger pieces (optional)

Strawberry Basil

strawberry slices
basil leaves
lime juice

Make your home smell delicious!

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How to Put Together a Simmer Pot

Now that you know what you can “boil” in your simmer pots, I’m going to show you how I use two similar methods to make them. One requires a little more supervision than the other. Choose the one that works best for you!

1. Stovetop Simmer Pot Method

For the stovetop simmer pot method, I fill a small saucepan or cast iron pot with water. Then, I add my simmering ingredients, using my own recipe or one of the “recipes” above, and let it simmer on low for a couple of hours. I add water as needed.

What You’ll Need:

Small Saucepan or Cast Iron Pot
simmering ingredients (see recipes below)

2. Crockpot Potpourri or Slower Cooker Simmering Potpourri Method

For the slow cooker simmer pot method, I fill it most of the way with water and add my ingredients. I turn it on low and let it simmer all day, checking and adding water as needed.

What You’ll Need

Crockpot or Little Dipper Crockpot
simmering ingredients (see recipes below)

Simmering Potpourri Use and Safety Tips

I always make sure there’s enough water in my pot to prevent the potpourri from burning. I check my stovetop simmer pot every couple of hours to ensure the water level hasn’t gotten too low. If I tend to get distracted or worry about forgetting to check, I prefer using a slow cooker simmer pot since it requires less “babysitting.”
I keep my simmer pot on low, whether I’m using an electric pot, a stovetop pot, or a crockpot. To make my simmering potpourri blend last longer, I drain out the old water and add fresh filtered water each day. This way, I can usually get 3 to 4 days out of one mixture.
If I want, I can leave my crockpot simmer pot on all day, but I only leave my stovetop pot on for a couple of hours unless I’m being very careful. I never leave a simmer pot simmering while I’m sleeping or if I’m going out.

Simmer Pot FAQ’s

What can I boil to make my house smell good?

You can boil just about any foods that have a pleasant aroma to make your house smell good. Apples, berries, orange peels, lemon peels, lime peels, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon sticks, mint leaves and more. A simmer pot is a great way to do this. Use the “recipes” above in this post for some great scents!

What is a Simmer Pot?

Essentially, I would describe a simmer pot as a pot full of water and potpourri simmering away on the stove all day.

What are the benefits of a simmer pot?

Simmer pots are a natural way to scent your home and add humidity – which is much needed in winter – to the air all at once.

How long does simmering potpourri last?

hat depends on the freshness of your ingredients. I would say you could get 3-4 days from one pot of homemade potpourri, if you keep adding fresh water to top up the pot

More Simmering Potpourri Ideas

5 Simmer Pot Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Kitchen Scrap Simmer Pots

So there you have it, what I boil on the stove to make the house smell good! Simple, natural elements like rosemary, citrus, cinnamon and cloves in different combinatations at different times of year.

Have you ever made stovetop simmering potpourri? Doesn’t it just make your house smell amazing?!