Autumn brings with it falling leaves, cooler days, and the innate desire to feel cozy against the encroaching chill of winter.

What better way to chase away the cold than with the soothing aromas of plants, spices, and herbs?

Adding fresh and dried aromatics to a do-it-yourself simmer pot, also known as stovetop potpourri, offers a natural way to scent your home.

What's a Simmer Pot?

Simmer pots, also known as stovetop potpourri, freshen the air naturally.

Fragrant ingredients like fresh fruits and herbs are simmered in water over the stovetop, infusing a space with gentle aromas.

If you're not familiar with them, read up on the basics of making and using simmer pots.

What Is a Simmer Pot?

If you aren’t familiar with simmer pots, they’re easy and quick ways to add fresh and clean fragrances to your home. Combinations of natural ingredients are simmered in a pot of water set over the stove. The heat and steam from the warmed mixture causes the ingredients’ natural essential oils to be released into the air. The result: a comforting and relaxing aroma fills the room.

Why Use a Simmer Pot?

Why go through the trouble of creating a simmer pot when you can just light a candle or plug in an air freshener?

Unfortunately, many store-bought candles are made from petroleum-based paraffin and artificial scents. Plug-in air fresheners aren’t much better with their synthetic fragrances. Many of us are sensitive to these manufactured ingredients, which can lead to headaches and have been linked to an increased risk of asthma in children and adults. For a cleaner and more natural way to add fragrance to a room, try a simmer pot.

Welcome Sweater Weather

Not only do simmer pots increase the warmth factor in your home, they also infuse the air with extra humidity during autumn’s typically drier days. They’re a great way to banish offensive kitchen odors too.

Simmer Pot Tips

Let It Simmer

*The longer a simmer pot simmers, the better the results. Let a pot simmer for at least three hours to effectively infuse the air. Remove the pot from the heat overnight to prevent a fire hazard while you’re sleeping. 

Pan Size Matters

Smaller saucepans tend to release aromas more effectively. But you’ll need to stay close to the stove, as the water level will evaporate more quickly.

Ingredient Tips

*Substitute your favorite juice for the water (try cranberry, grape, apple, or pear).

*Save apple, pear, and citrus fruit peels, as well as those last remnants at the bottom of a spice jar, and put them to good use in a simmer pot. Consider freezing the peels until you’re ready to use them.

*Simmer pot ingredients can be reused a second time, provided you refrigerate them between simmer sessions. The smell may not be as strong, but it will still be lovely.

If you don’t have a particular herb or spice in your kitchen, or you don’t want to use up your expensive spices, try substituting or adding in various tea bags (chai, black, or herbal blends). Keep in mind that a couple of bags are needed per simmer blend to release the tea’s aromas.

Making an Autumn Simmer Pot

The aromas of fall bring to mind rich spices and flavorful fruits:

• cloves
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• apples
• pears
• oranges

If some of these scents aren’t your thing, no problem. Simmer pots are meant to be creative and customizable, so there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to ingredients or their measurements.

Be open to experimentation when it comes to a simmer pot. Better yet, base it on what you have readily available.

Simmer Pot Recipes for Fall

Embrace fall with the following simmer pot blends that will keep you in an autumnal spirit. Follow the instructions on setting up a simmer pot, and add the ingredients for the recipe you select below.

• Apple-Ginger Pie

  • 2 organic apples, sliced
  • 1-inch fresh ginger root
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 star anise
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 1 tsp cardamom pods

• Autumn Woods Walk

  • 1 tsp dried sage
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • [q:1/2] tsp fenugreek
  • [q:1/4] tsp peppercorns

• Chai Spice

  • 3 black tea bags
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 1-inch fresh ginger root
  • 1 tsp cardamom pods
  • 1 tsp whole cloves

• Cranberry Crisp

  • [q:1 1/2] cups fresh cranberries
  • [q:1/4] cup fresh ginger root 
  • 2 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 organic orange

• Ginger Spice

  • [q:1/4] cup fresh sliced ginger root
  • 1 Tbsp whole cloves
  • 1 Tbsp allspice 
  • 3 cinnamon sticks 

• Pumpkin Pie

  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp whole cloves 

Using Essential Oils

Consider adding a few drops of essential oil to your simmer pot.

Essential oils perfect for fall-themed recipes include:

• ginger
• clove
• orange
• vanilla
• cardamom
• black pepper
• sage
• thyme
• cinnamon

If you aren’t familiar with simmer pots, they’re quick and easy ways to add fresh and clean fragrances to your home.

What are Simmer Pots?

Simmer pots, also known as stovetop potpourri, freshen the air naturally:

1. Fragrant ingredients like fresh fruits and herbs are simmered in a pot of water set over the stove.
2. The heat and steam from the warmed mixture causes the ingredients’ natural essential oils to be released into the air.
3. The result: a gently comforting and relaxing aroma fills and infuses the room.

Simmer pots also act as a natural humidifier, as they bubble away on the stove and release steam into the air.

Why Use a Simmer Pot?

While candles, room sprays, plug-in fragrances, and incense are typical favorites for adding scent to the home, many of these options contain toxic and synthetic fragrances and chemicals that can damage your health and contribute to poor indoor air quality. 

Simmer pots are a natural way to add fragrance to a room. They’re sustainable, and cut down on the single-use plastic packaging typically found with air fresheners and room sprays.

The natural ingredients used in a simmer pot can even be composted when you’re finished.

Making a Simmer Pot

To start simmering, look to the fresh fruits and herbs and other ingredients you may have on hand.

Some options to try include:

• citrus peels
  • lemon
  • lime
  • orange
  • grapefruit
• sprigs of fresh mint, thyme, or basil
• pure baking extracts
  • vanilla
  • almond
  • peppermint

Fresh fruit peels create the same aroma as whole slices when simmered, so it doesn’t matter which you use.

Reduce food waste by saving apple peels, fruit cores, and citrus rinds in resealable bags. Store them in the freezer until you’re ready to use them in a simmer pot.

Using a Simmer Pot

Here’s the basic procedure to follow when setting up a simmer pot.

See the recipes that follow for specific ingredient measurements.

Stovetop Pot

1. Fill a stovetop pot with water until it’s three-quarters full. 
2. Bring the water to a boil. 
3. Add ingredients as desired (or see our recipe ideas below). 
4. Reduce heat to a simmer. 
5. Simmer for 30 minutes. Check water level, adding more necessary.
   • You want the water level in the pot to stay at least half full throughout the simmering time.
6. Continue simmering for three hours or more, checking the water level every 30 minutes or so.
   • Keep topping the pot with more water as needed to ensure it doesn’t completely evaporate and the ingredients don’t burn.

Using a Slow Cooker

A slow cooker can also be used to simmer fragrant ingredients.

1. Fill a slow cooker with water until it’s about three-quarters full.
2. Add desired ingredients, pop the lid on, and set the device to High.
3. When the cooker begins to steam, remove the lid, and set the machine to the Low or Simmer setting.
4. Be sure the water remains at the halfway mark inside the container during the entire simmering process.
   • Check every 30 minutes, and add more water as needed.

Keep in mind that most simmer pot sessions last about two hours.

Ingredients

You should always select something seasonal, whether in Spring or Autumn, but here are some general tips.

• Reducing Waste

  Save apple, pear, and citrus fruit peels, as well as those last remnants at the bottom of a spice jar, and put them to good use in a simmer pot. Consider freezing the peels until you’re ready to use them.

• Reusing Ingredients

  You can use simmer pot ingredients (also known as aromatics) more than once. Drain the water from the pot with a strainer.

  Store the aromatics in the refrigerator for up to three days. When ready to use again, add fresh water to a pot and simmer away.

  The smell may not be as strong, but it will still be lovely.

• Get Creative

  • Fruit Juices

    Try substituting your favorite juice for the water (try cranberry, grape, apple, or pear).

  • Tea Bags

    If you don’t have a particular herb or spice in your kitchen, or you don’t want to use up your expensive spices, try substituting or adding in various tea bags (chai, black, or herbal blends).

    Keep in mind that a couple of bags are needed per simmer blend to release the tea’s aromas.

Aromas are one of the most integral parts of our sensory experience for creating comfort in our space. The sense of smell, more so than any other sense, can dramatically shift the mood of a space, and how we feel about it.

Scent, Memories, and Feelings

When we call up memories of influential places or people in our life, we often associate those memories with smells.

Think back to the aroma of cookies baking in a loved one’s kitchen, a favorite perfume or aftershave. Experience how this smell association transports us back to when we first established that core memory.

This is called odor-evoked autobiographical memory, and studies have shown these memories are more vivid than memories cued by other senses.

We can use essential oils in our home airspace to help build an ambiance and create memories through scent-association by season, time of day, and even down to specific rooms.

Think about what feeling you want your visitors to experience when they step into your home—crisp and clean with citruses, or warm and cozy with spices?

Selecting the Perfect Aroma for Your Space

We often decorate rooms in our homes based on the mood we wish to evoke. The essential oils you use in your home can amplify that effect.

• Bedroom

  The bedroom is like our sanctuary, where we go to unwind, relax, and leave the stresses of the day at the door.

  Calming floral aromas like lavender, geranium, and rose, as well as grounding scents like frankincense and sandalwood help seal out the world and create a feeling of privacy and peace.

  Try this recipe for a relaxing nighttime diffusion.

• Kitchen

  Kitchens like to feel bright and sparkly. They are often built with large or many windows to provide the space with natural light and a feeling of openness.

  Citrus essential oils like sweet orange, mandarin, lemon, and grapefruit contribute to that bright, cheery experience, and can also help fight odors to keep kitchens clean.

  Add a sparkle to your kitchen with this grapefruit surface cleaning spray.

• Family Room

  Family rooms tend to be the epicenter of home life, so we want these rooms to have an aroma that can build the happiest of memories.

  Calming floral or resinous aromas like lavender, frankincense, bergamot, and sandalwood help create a relaxed atmosphere for conversations or movie nights, while oils like sweet orange, tangerine, rosemary, peppermint, and eucalyptus are energizing and invigorating for fun game nights.

  Set the mood with this sandalwood and lemon diffusion.

• Bathrooms

  Keeping a clean bathroom often feels like one of the most important aspects of home care, especially when you’re expecting guests.

  Herbaceous and evergreen aromas like rosemary, pine, eucalyptus, peppermint, and tea tree go a long way to cover unwanted odors and keep your bathrooms feeling spotless.

  Learn how to make your own reed diffusers that are perfect for a clean-feeling bathroom.

Set the Mood with Aromas by the Season

Diffusing different essential oils each season is a great way to bring some of the outdoor vibe into your home space.

• Spring

  Citrus essential oils, especially lemon and sweet orange, are a go-to cheery spring aroma.

  Diffusing them in your home can help clear away the dark, dreary winter gloom, and making your own DIY cleaning products is a great way to be both health- and environmentally conscious when tackling your spring cleaning.

  This lemon and palmarosa diffusion is perfect for welcoming the spring.

• Summer

  Exotic floral aromas and light, bright citruses are the way to go for mimicking the sunny, beautiful outdoors during the summer.

  Middle notes like jasmine, neroli, and rose blended with uplifting tangerine, lime, bergamot, and mandarin can make your home feel like a summer garden in full bloom.

  Make your own summer floral room mist.

• Fall

  Fall is the season of citrus and spice; sweet orange blended with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger creates a cheering and cozy atmosphere in any room.

  A few drops of cinnamon added to fall decorations like pinecones and wreaths adds to the ambiance of autumn décor.

  Nothing says fall like mulled cider.

• Winter

  Winter can be mentally and emotionally challenging with the colder, darker days and the stresses of the holiday season.

  Herbaceous and evergreen essential oils are soothing and peaceful, reminiscent of walking through a beautiful forest, and can bring that winter peace inside without all the cold.

  Peppermint, pine, cedarwood, and juniper are perfect winter aromas.

  Spread the holiday cheer throughout your home with this wintertime diffusion.

Further Reading

Looking for inspiration for how to enhance your space with aroma? Find recipes, tips, and tricks at auracacia.com or at @auracacia on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!