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This fall simmer pot recipe will fill your home with the delicious scent of Autumn. Made with simple, fresh ingredients, this simmer pot recipe is sure to become a favorite fall tradition!
Fall is just the best, isn’t it? The gorgeous colors, the cool air, the delicious flavors – I could live in fall all year long!
If you’re looking to add some fall vibes to your home (and who isn’t?) scent is one of the best ways to create a cozy atmosphere.
Yes, you can buy candles and air fresheners that are fall-scented, but the best scents come straight from nature. Fresh ingredients like ripe apples, orange slices, cinnamon sticks and herbs from the garden make the most delicious combination of fragrances imaginable. It’s fall in a pot, and it’s pure magic!
This Autumn simmer pot recipe is simple, but it’ll be one you come back to again and again. It’s so good, so easy to make and it’s totally free of funky chemicals. Let me show you how it’s done!
(Psst…if you want to see my Spring simmer pot recipe, click here!)
To see this simmer pot in action, as well as some other fall recipes I’ve been whipping up, click on the button below to watch the video.
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Table of contents
- Find this post on YouTube !
- What is a Simmer Pot?
- Ingredients and Supplies for this Fall Simmer Pot Recipe
- How to Make and Use this Fall Simmer Pot Recipe
- Printable Recipe Card
- Customize Your Simmer Pot Recipe
- Perfect for Gifting!
- FAQ’s
- Fall Room Spray and Essential Oil Diffuser Blends
- Other Fall Projects and Recipes You’ll Love
What is a Simmer Pot?
Simmer pots, also known as stovetop potpourri, are typically combinations of water, fruit, herbs, spices and other fragrant ingredients that are simmered together on the stove top or in a slow cooker. As the mixture simmers, it releases delicious fragrances into the air to make your home smell fabulous.
I love using simmer pots because they are easy to make, they smell like a million bucks, they can often be made with scraps (think leftover orange peels or a few sprigs of pine branches from the yard) and they are made from fresh, natural ingredients.
There is also something so cozy about a warm pot simmering away on the stove. Cool Autumn days and simmer pots are perfect together!
If you are craving a Christmas version, check out my stovetop Christmas potpourri.
Ingredients and Supplies for this Fall Simmer Pot Recipe
To make this recipe, you’ll want to gather the following simmer pot ingredients:
- apple slices
- orange slices
- cinnamon sticks
- whole cloves
- lemon thyme
You’re also going to need one large pot and water.
How to Make and Use this Fall Simmer Pot Recipe
Fill a large pot with water. Add the orange slices, apple slices, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and lemon thyme to a large pot. Bring the pot to boil on the stove. Reduce the heat to a simmer and check the water level occasionally, adding more water as needed.
Printable Recipe Card
The Best Fall Simmer Pot
Ingredients
- water
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 tbsp whole cloves
- cinnamon sticks
- lemon thyme
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water.
- Slice your apples and oranges.
- Add the sliced fruit, cinnamon sticks, cloves and lemon thyme to the water in your pot.
- Bring the pot to a boil and then lower to a simmer.
- Allow the pot to simmer for as long as you wish. Be sure to check it every so often to make sure the water level doesn't get too low. Add more water as needed.
- Enjoy!
Customize Your Simmer Pot Recipe
I love this simple fall simmer pot recipe as written, but you don’t have to limit yourself to this exact list of ingredients. There is a whole world of possibilities!
Try adding some cranberries, lemon slices or a teaspoon of vanilla extract or pumpkin pie spice. Use those leftover orange peels from breakfast. Add a dash of ground nutmeg or ginger.
Fresh herbs are wonderful in this simmer pot, but I like to save the woodsy/earthy scents, like rosemary and sage, for Christmas simmer pots.
Another great idea is to add a few drops of something like cinnamon or orange essential oil for some extra scent. This is one of those recipes that you can easy customize to make it your own!
Perfect for Gifting!
If you want to make a batch of simmer pot ingredients to pull out later or to give away as a gift, then you’re in luck! This recipe can me made shelf stable by dehydrating the ingredients and packaging them dry. You can then save it, gift it or do whatever you want with it.
Once you’re ready to use the dry potpourri, simply add it to a pot of water and simmer away just like you would with this fresh version. That’s what I did when I made homemade dry Christmas Potpourri. It made for some adorable and very affordable Christmas gifts!
FAQ’s
Yes, you can absolutely use ground cinnamon, or for that matter ground spices of any kind, in your simmer pot. Whole cinnamon sticks are not required!
As long as you keep simmering, the fragrance from your simmer pot should be good for about 24 hours. Feel free to add more of your ingredients during that time if you feel like the scent needs a boost.
It depends. If you’re using fresh fruit then you’ll want to throw the mixture out after 1 day as it will begin to grow bacteria. If you didn’t include fresh fruit then yes, you can use your simmer pot over multiple days or until the fragrance is gone.
Fall Room Spray and Essential Oil Diffuser Blends
Today’s recipe was all about the simmer pot, which I adore for freshening up the home. However, if you’re not a simmer pot kind of person, that’s fine! You can still enjoy delicious, natural scents of the season with my fall essential oil room spray or one of my 10 fall essential oil diffuser blends. They are fantastic!
Other Fall Projects and Recipes You’ll Love
It’s time to get out there and decorate a porch for fall – you know you want to!
While you’re at it, set this simmer pot on the stove and enjoy the sweet, crisp aroma of fall. It’ll make your home smell incredible – the perfect addition to a lovely Autumn day!
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