As the holiday season approaches, we begin to spend more and more time indoors. A majority of people find themselves reaching for comforting scents to fill their home with. Most people opting for the more conventional wax candles, or chemical-filled room sprays.
However, this winter you should try a natural alternative which has been a staple in homes for centuries. Recently, simmer pots have been trending throughout homemaking social media platforms.
Simmer pots are an assortment of different foods, spices, and foliage that you boil in hot water, creating a pleasant smell that wafts through your home.
All you need is a pot and ingredients that you can easily find at any supermarket. The best part of this is, these ingredients can be composted. Simmer pots are a sustainable and affordable alternative to scents that are often packaged in single use plastics.
Traditionally, simmer pots were used by older generations as a way to make their home smell nice during the winter. They can add a feeling of comfort and belonging to your home.
The most common ingredients for winter simmer pots consist of citrus fruit, fresh cranberries, whole spices, herbs (such as bay leaves or rosemary), and plants from nature. Once you have gathered your ingredients, and a pot to use, slice the citrus fruit of your choice into small rounds and then add the rest of your ingredients into the pot with around six cups of water.
Then bring this mixture to a boil and simply keep it simmering on low heat for as long as you would like. Add water when needed.
Depending on the recipe you decide to use, the amount of each ingredient varies. In this particular recipe, courtesy of Perry’s Plate blog, it calls for one small citrus fruit, ½ cup of fresh cranberries, three cinnamon sticks, two tablespoons of whole cloves, a handful of rosemary and bay leaves, and a small amount of pine cuttings.
The beauty of simmer pots is that you can customize and substitute things as much as you wish, in order to get the smell you want.
How long can you use simmer pots? Realistically, you can use simmer pots for around a week. Just make sure to turn the stove off at night or if you are leaving the house.
If leaving the stove on without it being closely supervised for a long time makes you feel hesitant, another option is to make a slow cooker version of simmer pots.
Although slightly less traditional, slow cooker simmer pots can add the spicy scent to your home without the hassle and worry of using the stove.
Fill your slow cooker ⅔ of the way with water. Then simply add your ingredients, set your stove at high, and leave it uncovered. Another plus to using a slow cooker is that you can simply store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to four days. This is great when you are busy hosting or running around town buying presents.
Speaking of presents, simmer pot kits make great gifts! Just put the ingredients needed to make a simmer pot into a gift bag and include directions on how to create a simmer pot.
Some other ingredients to try out in your simmer pot include vanilla extract, dried lavender, lavender essential oil, anise spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, apple peels, slices, cider, cardamon, ginger root, or even coffee beans.
You can be resourceful when creating simmer pots and using leftover ingredients such as lemon, orange, and apple peels. You can use whatever you have in your kitchen.
This winter, more and more people will be ditching conventional aroma making sprays and candles, and instead using traditional simmer pots. Many people’s homes this holiday season will smell much more festive as we make winter memories.
