Scent your whole home with an easy holiday stovetop simmer!
I’m a huge fan of holiday scented candles. I just love the warm and cozy scents during this time of year! But let’s face it, candles are expensive.
Even when I buy them, I hesitate to burn them because I don’t want to replace them.
So when I’m not burning one of my many candles, I’m scenting my home with a stovetop simmer!
What is a pot simmer?
Simply put, a pot simmer is a combination of kitchen ingredients, typically fruit, herbs, and spices, thrown together in a large pot of water to scent your home naturally.
I started doing this in the Fall to make our home smell nice and cozy, and I’ve been obsessed ever since.
The scent lasts all day and still lingers a bit even after you turn the stove off.
Why you’ll love stovetop simmers:
- It’ll get you into a cleaning mood. The aroma gives you the boost you need to power through household chores.
- It’s a stovetop air-freshener. It helps to get rid of unwanted odors, making your house smell amazing!
- It’s cheap and easy. Most of the ingredients you’ll use you probably already have on hand making it a lot cheaper than buying candles, and perfect for every season.
Holiday Simmer Ingredients
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1-2 rosemary sprigs
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 3-5 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tbsp whole cloves
- 1 tsp nutmeg
How to Make Your House Smell Like Christmas
First, fill a large pot with water and add all of your ingredients.
Then, turn the stove on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce to low heat and refill with water as needed.
I start every pot simmer in the morning and let it simmer all day long. I’ll eventually turn it off once I start cooking dinner because the cooking smells will just overpower the pot scent anyway.
Can you reuse a pot simmer?
Absolutely! Put a lid on your pot at night and add fresh water in the morning!
I can usually use my pot simmers for about three consecutive days before I have to toss the ingredients and make a new one. Happy Holiday Homemaking!
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When you say whole cloves, whole cloves of what? This looks heavenly!
You can find cloves in the spice aisle at any grocery store! They come in ground or whole. Grab the whole cloves because they’re better for fragrance.