Christmas Stovetop Potpourri
We love the smell of a burning Christmas candle, but we don’t love what scented candles might release into the air around us. This simmering pot of Christmas potpourri is a natural way to replace those fragrant candles you love with a non-toxic, non-burning solution. Think of it as “real food for your home,” and the way our Grandmas and Great Grandmothers used to scent their homes. We also love how easy it is to change the scent simply by selecting different ingredients to simmer. Below we share a list of ideas and swaps you can make for your Christmas simmer pot.
Ingredients To Make A Christmas Simmer Pot
This combination of ingredients gives up the most beautiful aroma as it simmers. It will fill your home with cheer and good spirits. Here is our version of Stovetop Christmas Potpourri:
Fresh cranberries – you could use frozen, tooOranges – fresh or dried slicesCinnamon sticks – may substitute ground cinnamonWhole cloves – may substitute ground clovesAll spice berries – may substitute ground allspiceGround nutmegRosemary sprigFresh evergreen – an optional ingredient. If you have a fresh Christmas tree in your home, you could use some clippings from that tree or an outdoor oneWater – can substitute apple juice or apple cider
Find the ingredients list with exact measurements in the printable recipe card below.
How to make A simmer pot Recipe
Making a simmer pot is so simple. And it’s a great way to use food scrapes, such as citrus peels and fruit rinds instead of throwing them out.
Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water.To the pot, add all of the stovetop potpourri ingredientsStir and bring to a gentle simmer Simmer as long as you would like, adding water as needed.
How to Make Simmer Pot Video
How to change up the aroma
There are so many delightful options when it comes to simmering pots and stovetop potpourri. You can use the list below to make your own combination to simmer. Leave out ingredients you don’t have on hand, or add more of one if you really like the scent.
CranberriesCitrus fruits – fresh or dried slices of oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruitApple slices or peels – dried or freshPear slices or peels – dried or freshSpices – ground, fresh, or dried cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger, cardamon, star anise, pumpkin pie spiceHerbs – dried or fresh rosemary, thyme, basil, mint, bay leavesPine or Evergreen Dried lavenderVanilla extractEssential oilsApple juice or cider
Frequently Asked Questions
When to Make a Simmer Pot
Simmer pots are something you can enjoy year round. By changing up the ingredients you can make a simmer pot that’s suitable for any seasons or occasion. For this particular simmer pot recipe, we like to make it during the holidays so our Thanksgiving and Christmas guests can enjoy the wonderful seasonal scent, too.
From the list above, choose a combination of ingredients you love or use the ingredients listed in the recipe below. Use ingredients that are dried and/or have a long shelf life if able. If not all of the ingredients are shelf-stable, simply add to the gift, “simmer within 2 weeks”. Place the ingredients in a clear cellophane bag or clear box. Add a bow or pretty twine to make it festive. To a tag or card, write the instructions for simmering.
Pin Now to Make Later!
For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words. Link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you! After simmering for a few hours, allow to cool, then cover the pot and let it sit on the turned-off stove until the next day. Remove the lid and bring it to a simmer again then next day. Add fresh water as needed so there is always liquid in the pot. For a longer lasting simmer pot, up to 7 days, refrigerate the pot of ingredients (after the liquid has cooled) between uses. Add fresh ingredients and water as needed. When you’re done with the simmer pot, strain out the liquid and compost or dispose of the ingredients.
