What Is a Simmer Pot? A Simple Way to Make Your Home Smell Amazing
There’s something about a pot quietly simmering on the stove that makes a house feel a little more like home.
Long before plug-ins and room sprays, people used citrus, herbs, spices, fruit and botanicals to naturally fragrance the air. Today, we call it a simmer pot, and it may be one of the simplest home fragrance rituals around.
Whether you gather ingredients from your own kitchen or start with a ready-to-use botanical blend, a simmer pot adds fragrance to your home while bringing a little ritual to an otherwise ordinary afternoon.
Sometimes simple really is better.
So, What Exactly Is a Simmer Pot?
A simmer pot, sometimes called stovetop potpourri, is a mixture of aromatic ingredients gently heated in water.
As the water warms, fragrant steam begins to drift through the room. Depending on what goes into the pot, the scent can be bright and citrusy, earthy and herbal, rich with spice, or somewhere in between.
Citrus slices, apples, cinnamon sticks, cloves, rosemary, sage, berries, flowers and dried botanicals are all common ingredients.
Part of the charm is visual, too. A simmer pot looks beautiful on the stove, with fruit, herbs and spices floating together as the water gently moves. It feels less like using a home fragrance product and more like creating a little moment in the house.
How to Use a Simmer Pot
Using one is wonderfully simple.
Place your ingredients in a saucepan or other stovetop-safe pot, then add enough water for everything to float comfortably.
Warm the mixture until it reaches a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
You do not need a rolling boil. Low and slow is the idea.
As the water warms, the fragrance will begin to move through the room. Check the pot periodically and add more water whenever the level starts getting low.....that’s really all there is to it.
How Long Can a Simmer Pot Last?
A simmer pot can gently fragrance your home for several hours as long as you continue checking the water level and adding more when needed.
The most important thing is to never allow the pot to simmer dry and never leave it unattended while it is heating.
If you would like to use the mixture again later, let it cool completely, cover it and refrigerate it. Depending on the ingredients, many simmer pots can be reheated within a day or two.
The fragrance will usually soften a little each time, which is perfectly normal.
Can You Use a Slow Cooker?
You can!
A small slow cooker can be an easy alternative if you would rather not use the stovetop. Add your ingredients and water, set the cooker to low, and leave the lid off or slightly ajar so the fragrant steam can escape.
You will still want to check the water from time to time and follow the safety instructions for your particular appliance.
Making Your Own Simmer Pot
One of the best things about simmer pots is that there really are no complicated rules, you can start with whatever you already have.
For fall, try apple, orange, cinnamon and clove. Around the holidays, orange, cranberry, rosemary and cinnamon make a beautiful combination. For something fresh, lemon with rosemary and mint is simple and clean. If you prefer something more herbal, citrus, sage and rosemary work beautifully together.
Experimenting is half the fun. You may end up finding a combination that becomes part of your own seasonal routine.
Fresh Ingredients or Dried Blends?
Both work beautifully.
Fresh fruit and herbs are especially nice when you already have them on hand. That orange that is getting a little too soft for the fruit bowl? Perfect simmer pot material.
Dried blends have another advantage. They are easy to keep tucked away until you are ready to use them, and the ingredients are already selected to work together.
At Lemon Bluff, our simmer pot blends combine dried botanicals, fruits, herbs and other aromatic ingredients chosen to create a complete fragrance experience once warmed in water.
Pour it in. Add water. Gently simmer.
A Quick Note About Safety
Simmer pots are simple, but they still involve heat and hot water.
Use a pot or appliance designed for heating liquids, keep the temperature low once the mixture begins simmering, and check the water level regularly.
Prepared botanical simmer pot blends are intended for home fragrance only. They should not be eaten or consumed as a beverage.
And as tempting as it may be to wander off and let the house smell wonderful on its own, never leave a simmering pot unattended.
More Than Home Fragrance
Maybe this is what we like most about simmer pots.
Technically, they are a way to fragrance your home. But somehow, they do not really feel like another home fragrance product. They feel like slowing things down. A pot simmering while you straighten up the kitchen. Something fragrant on the stove before friends arrive.
They are small moments, but those are often the ones we remember.
Bring the Ritual Home
Prefer to skip the ingredient gathering?
Our Lemon Bluff botanical simmer pot blends are thoughtfully put together and ready whenever the mood strikes. Just add water, gently simmer, and enjoy the fragrance.
Explore Lemon Bluff Simmer Pots