This Winter Simmer Pot recipe will fill your home with the warm and spicy scents of the festive season. Make your home feel cosy in a natural way, without having to use any toxic scented candles or air fresheners.

I love a Christmas scented candle, but finding one made with just essential oils and soy wax or beeswax can be an expensive option. With just 5 relatively cheap ingredients and some water, this winter simmer pot recipe is a great way to add a festive aroma to your home.

Winter Simmer Pot Recipe - Crock Pot containing recipe ingredients

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple and easy to create in a slow cooker or in a pot on the stovetop
You can reuse the same ingredients for several days
It can help to add some humidity to your home, if you have the heating on during the colder winter months
The dried ingredients can be made into a homemade festive gift (more details at the end of the post)

Ingredients

1 large orange, sliced
1 apple, sliced
3 cinnamon sticks
3 – 5 star anise
1 tablespoon whole cloves
Water (amount will depend on the size of your vessel)

Equipment

Slow cooker (I use a Crock Pot) or a Dutch oven
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Tablespoon

How to Make a Winter Simmer Pot

Step 1

Slice your apple and orange and add them your slow cooker, saucepan or Dutch oven.

Step 2

Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves and any other spices you may want to include into the pot.

Step 3

Fill your pot with water, leaving at least 1 inch of space at the top so that it doesn’t boil over.

The scent will become stronger over time as the ingredients become more infused with the water.

A lower volume of water will produce a stronger scent, as the ingredients are less diluted. However, lower amounts of water will require you to keep an eye on it more.

Step 4

Whether you are using a slow cooker or pot on the stove, start by setting the temperature to high until the water starts to boil, then switch it down to the lowest temperature setting.

Leave it to simmer away (without a lid on) for as long as you like.

Just be sure to switch off your appliance if go out.

You want to avoid having all of the water evaporating, as the ingredients may start to catch on the bottom of the pan.

Recipe Notes

Before slicing up your orange you can insert some whole cloves into the skin of the orange. This is a lovely activity to do with children and it also helps to release some more of the citrus scent in the orange.

Don’t put a lid on the pot whilst it is on, or you won’t be able to smell the wonderful scents being created.

You can use the same ingredients for several days in a row. Just make sure that your pot is kept topped up with enough water, otherwise the ingredients will start to dry out and burn.

Put a lid on the pot overnight to help preserve the ingredients.

Feel free to adapt the recipe according to your scent preferences.

Other ingredients that you may want to include are:

Dried orange slices
Dried apple slices
Cranberries
Vanilla
Ginger
All Spice
Nutmeg
Rosemary
Pine (you could cut off a very small branch from a real Christmas tree)

Homemade Holiday Gift Idea

You can make a lovely homemade holiday gift by including some dried ingredients such as dried orange slices, dried apple slices, cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves in a mason jar with a lid.

Tie a ribbon or some twine around the neck of the jar and you will have a zero waste handmade gift for your friends and family to enjoy as well.

The dry ingredients can be used as festive potpourri, or you can show them how to create their own simmer pot by adding the ingredients to a pan of water.