Instantly make your house smell like fall – the natural way! This fall simmering stovetop potpourri recipe only takes minutes to make, but the fragrance will last throughout your home for hours.

Have you ever made a fall simmering potpourri for your home? It’s such a great way to fill your house with an aromatic fall scent without the artificially scented room sprays, air fresheners or holiday perfumed-scented cleaning products. Just the natural way with real scents of fresh fruit and whole spices!

The beauty of homemade potpourris (or simmer pots) is they are SO easy to make and such a simple way to give the entire home a natural air freshener. Most likely, all of the ingredients you need to make them are already sitting in your kitchen.

Instantly make your house smell like fall - the natural way! This fall simmering stovetop potpourri recipe only takes minutes to make, but the fragrance will last throughout your home for hours.

So if the idea of fall simmering stovetop potpourri recipe is new to you, let me explain a little more about why you will want to give this a try in your own home this holiday season!

What Is A Simmer Pot Recipe?

Simmer pots are a delightful way to set the coziest mood in the fall and winter seasons. They are a natural alternative to using artificial scents, but also when you use real plant-based ingredients, you can get mood-boosting benefits as well!

Simply place all the aromatic items you want in your cozy fall stove top potpourri into a small saucepan (or even crock pot), add a few cups of water, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a low simmer for as long as you want. I love to leave my simmer pot on for a couple of hours. Just be sure to check the water and add water as needed.

What Can You Put In A Simmering Pot?

My favorite potpourri mixture is a combination of cinnamon sticks, orange slices, apple, star anise, some cloves and a splash of vanilla extract. But really, feel free to try a ton of different combinations! Maybe even add some fresh rosemary or fresh cranberries – both would add some wonderful scents to the pot.

And another great idea is as you’re cooking, save the peels of lemons, apples, or other fruits. You can then freeze them for later when you start craving a cozy, fall scent in your home!

You don’t have to stick to just fruit and spices – you can put anything in the pot you like! Try bits of cedar, pine or other wonderfully scented plants, bark or trees. And if you love to use essential oils, you could try adding a couple drops of those as well!

So now that you know what’s in a simmering pot, let’ talk about the easy way to make one.

How To Make A Fall Simmering Stovetop Potpourri

First, thinly slice your fresh oranges (with orange peels intact) and two small apples. Then toss them into the pot or Dutch oven. Next add in four cinnamon sticks, about eight star anise, some whole cloves and a splash of vanilla. Finally, just fill with water.

Then simply place your fall simmering stovetop potpourri on the back burner of your stove, bring to a boil on high heat and then let it simmer on low heat. Within minutes you will be enjoying the warm and comforting scents of vanilla and cinnamon. Your whole family is going to be thinking you made an apple pie! So you might want to have a pie on hand to help with those cravings. 🙂

Fall Stovetop Potpourri Questions and Tips:

DO I SIMMER OR BOIL? – Simmer! The heat should be set at just below boiling…so the mixture should lightly rumble (gently bubble), not boil.
WHAT TYPE OF POT IS BEST? – A medium sized saucepan works great. I love to use my Dutch oven.
SHOULD I KEEP THE LID ON OR OFF? – You will want to keep the lid off. This will help the simmer pot to release its lovely scent into the room.
HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD I ADD? – Fill until the you reach close to the top of the pot or 4-5 cups of water. Be sure to top it up with fresh water as the water level drops.
CAN I MAKE THIS IN A SLOW COOKER? – Yes, you can! Just set the slow cooker to low.
HOW LONG WILL THE SIMMER POT LAST? – You can use the same simmer pot for 1 or 2 days, just topping it up with fresh water when it gets low. But after two days, it’s time to make a brand new one.
HOW SOON SHOULD I MAKE IT BEFORE GUESTS ARRIVE? – I suggest to start your simmer pot about 30 minutes before your company arrives so your home is smelling fabulous!

A fall simmer pot is so lovely this time of year. It really does get you in the fall spirit! 🙂

LOOKING FOR MORE FALL INSPIRATION

This fall simmering stovetop potpourri is just one of my favorite ways to bring fall into your home. Here are a few more ideas readers love:

If you make this, please let me know if you loved the fall scent. Or if you combined any other ingredients you’d love to share! Don’t forget to PIN it for later!

Fall Simmering Stovetop Potpourri

Instantly make your house smell like fall - the natural way! This fall simmering stovetop potpourri recipe only takes minutes to make, but the fragrance will last throughout your home for hours!

Ingredients

4-5 cups water
1 navel orange, sliced
2 small apples, sliced
4 cinnamon sticks
8 star anise
1 teaspoon whole cloves
splash of vanilla

Instructions

Combine all ingredients together in a saucepan and heat over low heat until simmering. I have kept this going for a few hours, adding additional water when needed. You can also throw everything in the crockpot and set it on low with the top off.