If you are planning a get-together (or just need to eliminate the ghosts of yesterday’s cooked fish), a simmer pot is a wonderful way to fill your house with a pleasing scent. Not only does the great smell quickly spread to your entire home, but it’s a healthier alternative to scented candles and sprays – which can contain toxins and pollutants.
My favorite types of simmer pots include citrus, herbs, and an extra add-in like vanilla extract or some food-grade extracts. Some great fruits to try are lemons, limes, oranges, apples, grapefruit, coconut or cranberries. When it comes to herbs or spices, try lavender, mint, bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, eucalyptus, rosemary, rose petals, sage, or juniper berries. Some good extracts to try are orange, vanilla, lemon, or almond. Try your favorite combination of these ingredients to get your own custom scent!
These recipes are just guidelines! The great thing about simmer pots is that you can choose any ingredients that have a scent you love. For the citrus I use the entire fruit for a stronger scent, but you’ll still get great results just by using the peels off your leftovers. If you refrigerate your simmer pot, you can keep reusing it for up to seven days (just make sure to keep adding water so it doesn’t boil dry). It’s a cost-efficient, healthy way to keep your home smelling great!
Here are some of my favorite recipes for springtime:
Lemon Rosemary
• 1 sliced lemon
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• a few mint leaves
Cucumber Peppermint
• 1 small sliced cucumber
• 1 sliced lime
• peppermint leaves
Instructions:
Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add your favorite naturally-scented ingredients, boil for about a minute, then turn the heat on your stove down to a simmer. You can leave your natural air freshener simmering all day. Just be sure to add more water if it starts to get low.
