Simmer Pot Recipes: Make Your Home Smell Like the Season
A simmer pot is the easiest way to make your home smell cozy without candles or sprays. Just add dried botanicals to water and let it simmer. Here are our four favorite blends, Autumn Harvest, Winter Forest, Fresh Start, and Floral Calm, along with step-by-step instructions and safety tips.
Made a blend with us at an event? You're in the right place! Scroll down for your recipe and simmering instructions.
There's something about the smell of orange and cinnamon drifting through the house that makes a chilly day feel instantly cozier. A simmer pot is the simplest way to get there. No candles, no plug-ins, no synthetic fragrance. Just dried fruit, herbs, spices, and flowers gently warming in a pot of water on your stove.
As a tea blender, I spend a lot of time thinking about how botanicals smell and how their aromas work together. Simmer pots use the same idea, except you breathe them in instead of drinking them. Below are the four blends we created for our simmer pot blend bar, plus everything you need to make them at home.
What Is a Simmer Pot?
Image credit: Melody Zimmerman (Unsplash)
A simmer pot is a small pot of water with aromatic ingredients that you keep at a low simmer on the stove. As the water warms, it releases the natural oils from the ingredients into the air and gently scents your home. It's an old-fashioned trick that's having a well-deserved moment.
How to Use Your Simmer Pot
Add your blend to water. Place your blend (muslin bag and all) in a small, uncovered pot with about 4 cups of water. Prefer to see your ingredients float? Empty everything directly into the water instead. It's half the fun.
Bring it to a gentle boil, then lower the heat. Once it bubbles, turn it down to a low simmer and leave it uncovered.
Enjoy the aroma. Check on it now and then and top up with water as it evaporates.
To reuse: Let the pot cool, then refrigerate it. You can re-simmer the same blend for 2 to 3 days, adding fresh water each time.
The Recipes
Each recipe is a starting point. Feel free to add a little more of what you love and leave out what you don't.
Autumn Harvest
Autumn Harvest
Cozy, sweet & spiced: a classic fall aroma
2 dried orange slices
2–3 dried apple slices
2 cinnamon sticks
1–3 cloves
1–2 star anise
Winter Forest
Winter Forest
Crisp, woodsy & warm: perfect for a snowy day indoors
2–3 tbsp dried pine needles
2 rosemary sprigs
2 dried orange slices
2 tsp juniper berries
1–2 cinnamon sticks
Fresh Start
Fresh Start
Fresh, clean & calming: a bright lift for any room
3 dried lemon slices
2 rosemary sprigs
5–6 lavender sprigs
Floral Calm
Floral Calm
Soft, floral & peaceful: a quiet, restful vibe
4 tbsp rosebuds
5–6 lavender sprigs
2 dried orange slices
Tips for Making Your Own
Fresh works too. No dried fruit on hand? Fresh citrus slices, apple peels, and herb sprigs from the fridge work well. Dried ingredients simply keep longer, which makes them easy to bag up ahead of time or give as gifts.
Start with a base, then accent. Citrus or apple makes a great foundation. Build on it with a warm spice (cinnamon, clove, star anise), something green (rosemary, pine), or something floral (lavender, rose).
Go easy on cloves. They're powerful, and a few go a long way.
Make it a gift. Bag a blend in a muslin pouch, tie on a recipe card, and you have an easy hostess or holiday gift.
Make it a gift
Bag your blend in a cotton muslin pouch to give as an easy hostess or holiday gift.
Simmer Safely
Never leave a simmering pot unattended, and don't let it boil dry.
Use only in a well-ventilated area.
Keep out of reach of children and pets. Diffused citrus, pine, and clove oils can irritate cats and dogs.
Simmer pots are for fragrance only. Do not eat or drink.
Love Botanicals? Try Them in Your Cup
If you enjoyed blending a simmer pot, you'll feel right at home with loose-leaf tea. At Hoboken Tea Company, we curate teas and herbal blends and hand-blend our own Signature Blends, all with no artificial flavors. Browse the shop to find your next favorite cup, or follow along on Instagram at @hoboken_tea_co for seasonal blends and where to find us next.