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's the best product to make your house smell good? ›

Our experts are fans of activated charcoal filters that come in small bags you can hang in stink-prone rooms or stash in a gym bag. "They're good, especially in areas [with] diaper pails, garbages, and litter boxes," says Maker.

What essential oils make your house smell like fall? ›

Here are some ideas for fall essential oils:
  • Bergamot.
  • Cardamom.
  • Cedarwood.
  • Cinnamon bark.
  • Clove.
  • Fir.
  • Ginger.
  • Lemon.
Aug 14, 2020

How much vinegar do I boil to get rid of smells? ›

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.

Does boiling vinegar deodorize the air? ›

Baking soda: Placing baking soda on the counter can help neutralize odors. Vinegar: Boiling vinegar helps distribute it into the kitchen air, but leaving a bowl on the counter can also help absorb food odors.

Can I boil coffee grounds to make my house smell good? ›

It uses two ingredients, coffee and water. Simmer on the stove in a saucepan, adding water as needed throughout the day. Simmer Coffee Grounds For Natural Air Freshener… Quick, Cheap and Amazing!

Does boiling cinnamon water make your house smell good? ›

Put cinnamon and orange rinds in a boiling pot of water for 5 mins, should make your house smell great. No longer than 5 mins 'cause the orange rinds will start smelling bitter after a bit.

Can I use powdered cinnamon in a simmer pot? ›

Here's what you're going to need:

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.

How many times can I reuse simmer pot? ›

Depending on what ingredients you've used in your simmer pot, you can reuse the same one for several days!

Should you simmer pot open or closed? ›

Simmering and Boiling

Keep the lid on if you want to bring something to a simmer or a boil for two reasons. "One, heat escapes through an open lid, so it would take longer for water to come to a boil," says Ronna Welsh of Purple Kale Kitchenworks.

Can you put essential oils in a simmer pot? ›

A teaspoon of vanilla extract also makes a simmer pot smell divine; or, add a few drops of your favorite therapeutic essential oils to create a custom scent. To start your simmer pot, fill a small pot halfway with water and stir in your spices, herbs, peels, or fruits.

Can you put anything in a simmer pot? ›

You can put a number of things in a simmering pot to make them smell amazing — herbs, flowers, spices, and fruit are popular choices. Typically, anything fragrant or in a scent you like can work well in a simmer pot.

Can you boil vanilla extract to make house smell good? ›

Fill the pan with water, then add some cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Sprinkle in a little ground cinnamon if you want. Now here's the secret: Add a teaspoon or more of vanilla extract. Simmer on the stovetop, being careful not to let the water boil away.

Can you boil lemon juice to make your house smell good? ›

Natural Home Fragrance

If you have any unwanted odors in your home, lemon can help you mask them until you figure out the source. To do so, simmer a half dozen lemon slices and a handful of cloves in a pan of water. The mixture will leave the air lemony fresh.

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