Fall Stovetop Potpourri: Simmer Pot Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make dry fall potpourri? ›

Mix Ingredients

Add dried bay leaves, a teaspoon of cinnamon, cloves, cinnamon sticks and a few drops of orange and clove essential oils. Seal and shake the bag to mix all of the ingredients.

If there are no fresh fruit slices in your recipe, simply turn off the stove and cover the pot with a lid in between uses. Reheat when you need another dose of stovetop potpourri. According to the Happier Homemaker, with this method, your simmer pot can last four days.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, then add ingredients like apples, oranges, cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger, cranberries, nutmeg, vanilla, and more, and keep the water at a simmer to fill your home with a beautiful autumnal aroma.

Of course after day 1, the potpourri does not look as beautiful as it does when you begin simmering it, but the scent is still very lovely. After 3-4 days, the potpourri will become mushy and will not look pleasant, simply drain out the excess water and discard the fruit & herbs.

Make a Simmer Pot

To start, fill a pot about halfway with water. Then add a variety of sliced fruits, spices and essential oils or pure extracts. One fall-favorite combination is apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmeg—but you can mix and match just about anything that appeals to you.

“Combine two cups of water, a few slices of fresh oranges, two sprigs of rosemary, two cinnamon sticks, two whole cloves, and one teaspoon of vanilla.” Simply combine everything in a crock and set to low heat. To keep the aroma going, add more water every couple hours.

And to give it a nice, rich aroma, you'll need: 2 cinnamon sticks (or 1 tsp ground cinnamon), 2 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Here's how it's done: Slice your orange and apple (keep the peel on both). Add all your ingredients to a small pot and fill with water until it's about ¾ full.

Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and place over high heat. To the pot, add all of the ingredients. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on low for 2-3 hours.

Simmering and Boiling

Keep the lid on if you want to bring something to a simmer or a boil for two reasons. "One, heat escapes through an open lid, so it would take longer for water to come to a boil," says Ronna Welsh of Purple Kale Kitchenworks.

A teaspoon of vanilla extract also makes a simmer pot smell divine; or, add a few drops of your favorite therapeutic essential oils to create a custom scent. To start your simmer pot, fill a small pot halfway with water and stir in your spices, herbs, peels, or fruits.

How do you make potpourri smell stronger? ›

How do you make potpourri smell stronger? Two trusty ways to make your potpourri smell stronger are to add more essential oil to the mixture every so often or to agitate it. Shake the container or stir the potpourri to release more scent.

On the Stovetop

Be sure to keep your pot uncovered over low heat. Simmer for up to 2-3 days. Keep refilling the water every few hours as needed. You can prolong the lifespan of the potpourri by storing it in the fridge when not simmering.

A slow cooker produces less broth, but can be left and forgotten about safely. I would never, ever trust an electric stove. I put a side of corned beef in a large stock pot to cook it slow and then went to bed. When I woke the next morning I was chocking on smoke.

How long does the scent last? The scent of our potpourris will last anywhere from 2 months to years, depending on the blend you choose, where it is placed and how it is used. By keeping it in a place that is free from direct sunlight and breezes, it will last longer. A sachet enclosed in a drawer will last for years.

Orris Root Powder is used as a fixative with essential oils when making pot-pourri, however its most exotic application is in the Moroccan spice blend known as Ras el Hanout. Orris Root Powder is quite strong, so is best used sparingly when making North African tagines.

Set the temperature to between 115-125 degrees Fahrenheit, and dry for 12-24 hours. Oven: You can also dry fruit in your oven on the lowest setting (usually between 200-250 degrees Fahrenheit).