As the temperatures drop and the seasons shift, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere at home becomes a priority. The best way to do this? With the best fall and winter simmer pot recipes, of course.
These simple blends of water, spices, fruits, and herbs simmering away on your stovetop quickly makes your home smell nice using nothing but natural ingredients for a toxin-free festive fragrance.
Here, experts share their seven favorite simmer pot recipes for fall and winter to make your home a cozy haven for the cold season.
Simmer pot recipes for fall and winter
Whether you are trying to make your house smell like fall or make your home smell good for Christmas, these warm scents are perfect for the cozy season.
When using a simmer pot, cut fruit into slices place them along with any other ingredients in a large pot, and cover them with water. Bring it to a boil before reducing it to a simmer and leaving it on low heat for a prolonged period, at least three hours, until the scent fills your home. Be sure to top the water up every half an hour to maintain a constant level and prevent ingredients from burning.
1. Brown sugar and pear simmer pot
If you are not the best home cook and want to banish bad kitchen smells in favor of a space that smells like a bakery, then a brown sugar and pear simmer pot may be perfect for you. Lindsey Chastain, home blogger and founder of The Waddle and Cluck loves to cut up one pear and add it into a simmer pot with three whole cloves, a star anise, and a good sprinkle of brown sugar for a sweet, warm-scented pot.
Our simmer pot picks
The ceramic dutch oven Can be used to marinate, cook, and store food, also compatible with induction, gas, electric, and ceramic glass cooktops
This fall/winter-inspired dutch oven is suitable for all cooktops and your oven, making it a great investment for cozy winter simmer pots and baking.
No one does dutch overs quite like Le Cruset. This festive colorway is the perfect investment for winter simmer pots that will last you for decades to come
2. Holiday simmer pot with warm spices
If you want to make a home cozy for fall, you cannot overlook the impact of a good home fragrance. If warm and cozy is your goal, this Holiday simmer pot recipe by Barbi Gardiner, founder of The Outdoor Apothecary, is perfect:
‘The Holiday Simmer Pot is a festive concoction that combines the citrusy brightness of oranges and lemons with the deep, resinous notes of pine or spruce, complemented by the sweet warmth of cinnamon and cloves,’ she says.
‘All you need is a lemon and an orange (sliced into rounds), one-and-a-half cups each of cranberries and chopped pine or spruce needles, a cinnamon stick, and one teaspoon each of whole cloves and good quality vanilla extract, such as Watkins Original Gourmet Vanilla, available on Amazon.
‘For an extra festive touch, you can add a clean, dried pine cone, too.’
3. Evergreen spice simmer pot with pine
Fragrance layering is the perfect way to set the scene for Christmas, and you need not look further than this evergreen-inspired pot loved by Barbi Gardiner, of The Outdoor Apothecary. Using fresh pine, it is the closest you can get to living in a pine forest, she says:
‘If you are looking for a Christmassy scent this simmer pot is like walking through a winter forest. The evergreen and spices bring a warm, spicy scent that's perfect for chilly days.
‘Add three cinnamon sticks, 1/4 cup chopped orange peels, 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves, thick peels from one apple, and 1/4 cup each chopped evergreen (pine, spruce, fir) and cranberries for the ultimate Christmas fragrance.’
4. Cinnamon apple simmer pot
Ideal throughout fall or for making a house cozy for Thanksgiving, cinnamon apple simmer pots are perfect, says Amna Muqeem, co-founder and baker at Specially Fried. With warm undertones and fresh fruit, it is the ultimate fall fragrance.
Mix one sliced apple and orange (complete with rind), a one-inch piece of ginger, three cinnamon sticks, and one tablespoon each of whole cloves, and allspice with 10 cups of water for a sophisticated, layered scent.
5. Vanilla simmer pot
If you love rich gourmand fragrances that make your home smell like a bakery, than a vanilla based simmer pot is the perfect fall and winter solution.
For the best effect, you want to use three whole vanilla bean pods, rather than just extract, with a little hit of cinnamon or nutmeg - around a teaspoon or two. You can also add in some fresh apple slices to help add a little extra sweetness and evoke fresh apple pies and crumbles. I feel cozy just thinking about it.
6. Maple woods simmer pot
Every home needs a signature scent, and this maple woods simmer pot is ideal for anyone who likes the idea of making a home smell like a bakery.
Lindsey Chastain, a home blogger, recommends combining two tablespoons of pure maple syrup with one sprig of pine or cedar, a vanilla bean pod or a few drops of strong vanilla extract, and a whole cinnamon stick for a cozy, comforting fragrance.
Investing in high-quality maple syrup will help make the scent go further when you use it in a simmering pot.
7. Pumpkin spice simmer pot
Is there anything more autumnal than pumpkin spice? We would argue that you couldn't have fall without it.
To give your home the scent of a warm PSL, combine three cups of water with a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, a teaspoon of nutmeg, one or two cinnamon sticks, and some vanilla extract (to your liking). It is by far one of the best scents for fall to make your entryway inviting. Your holiday guests will never want to leave.
Save the hassle of mixing up your own pumpkin spice mix by buying it premade, perfect for baking, simmer pots, and spicing up your coffees.
What to do with simmer pot ingredients after simmering
Simmer pots use natural ingredients such as fresh produce to create a nice scent – this can lead to food waste and is one of the main criticisms of this home fragrance method.
However, there are a few things you can do to get a little more out of these ingredients or ensure they do not end up straight in landfill, says Lindsey Chastain, home blogger.
If you are throwing the ingredients out, it is best to put them into compost rather than your general trash, she begins. ‘This is a great way to recycle the ingredients and create nutrient-rich soil for your garden.
‘It is also possible to refrigerate the ingredients for a few days and reuse them for simmering a second time or you can dry out the ingredients and store them in an airtight container to be used in potpourri,’ she suggests.
FAQs
How long do you leave a simmer pot on?
When using a simmer pot to scent your home, the longer you leave it the better. At a minimum, you should leave the pot on low heat for three hours, topping the water up every thirty minutes to prevent burning, but you can leave it on for as long as a day – so long as you keep a constant eye on it (turning it off overnight to avoid a fire hazard).
Can you leave a simmer pot unattended?
When using a simmer pot to scent your home, you can leave it alone for short periods, but you should set a timer to check the pot every thirty minutes to ensure the water level is not dropping too low and risking a fire hazard. For this reason, when using a simmer pot over several days, you should always turn it off overnight when you go to sleep.
Although you set a simmer pot up to make a kitchen smell nice, opening up your internal doors and closing external windows can help these fragrances penetrate throughout your home, from making your living room smell nice to making a bedroom smell good. It is the perfect all-encompassing approach that will help make you home feel more cozy, inviting and special throughout the fall and winter seasons.
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