One of the biggest advantages of dehydrating fruit and herbs is that they don’t just become ingredients for cooking. Your pantry can also become your home fragrance cupboard. Introducing… simmer pots aka stovetop potpourri!
These days it’s easy to buy candles, plug-in air fresheners or diffusion oils, but it’s satisfying to create your own using ingredients you’ve already grown, preserved or dehydrated.
What Is a Simmer Pot?
A simmer pot is simply a small saucepan of water filled with fragrant natural ingredients that gently simmer on the stove, releasing their aroma throughout your home. Yum! Unlike artificial air fresheners, simmer pots create a subtle, natural fragrance while making good use of ingredients that might otherwise go to waste.
Whenever citrus is in season, I save slices and peel for dehydrating. Rosemary gets trimmed from the garden throughout the year, apples that are becoming a little soft can be sliced and dried, and herbs can all find a second life in a simmer pot. By spending a little time preserving ingredients during the growing season, you’ll have everything ready whenever you want your home smelling fresh.
The beauty of simmer pots is that there are no strict rules. Mix and match whatever you have available.
- Citrus: Orange slices, Lemon slices, Lime slices, Mandarin slices, Dehydrated citrus peel
- Herbs: Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Bay leaves, Kaffir lime leaves
- Spices: Cinnamon sticks, Whole cloves, Star anise, Cardamom pods, Peppercorns, a dash of powered nutmeg
- Extras: Dried apple slices, Dried cranberries, Vanilla bean
One of the great things about simmer pots is that they’re made purely for fragrance, not for eating. That opens up a whole new range of natural ingredients you might not normally keep in the kitchen.
Alongside your dehydrated fruit, herbs and spices, you can also include fresh or dried pine needles, lavender flowers, rose petals etc. These all release beautiful natural aromas as they gently simmer.
You can mix and match virtually any combination you choose. Sometimes the most satisfying projects aren’t about making food at all. They’re about making the most of what you’ve already grown. OF COURSE YOU CAN USE FRESH (sorry to shout, but if you have fresh ingredients at hand, make the most of them too).
How to Use a Simmer Pot
- Fill a small saucepan with around 3 cups of water.
- Add a handful of your chosen ingredients and bring the water to a gentle simmer.
- As the water evaporates, simply top it up. Never allow the saucepan to boil dry.
Within minutes your kitchen begins to fill with a beautiful natural fragrance that slowly spreads throughout the house.
How Long Will They Keep?
Provided the ingredients have been thoroughly dehydrated and stored in an airtight glass jar or sealed container away from heat, light and moisture, most simmer pot ingredients will retain their fragrance for around 12 months. Citrus slices may gradually lose some of their vibrant scent over time, while spices such as cinnamon sticks and cloves often remain wonderfully aromatic for much longer.
As a general rule, if the ingredients still smell fragrant when you open the jar, they’ll still make a lovely simmer pot. It’s another reason to preserve seasonal ingredients when they’re at their best—you’ll be able to enjoy those fresh garden aromas all year round.
Because dehydrated ingredients readily absorb moisture from the air, it’s best to store your simmer pot ingredients in airtight glass jars or sealed containers. Ensure all ingredients are ‘bone dry’ otherwise they will decay over time and/or potentially spoil with mould.
If you’d like to give them as gifts, layer colourful citrus slices with cinnamon sticks, herbs and spices in a glass jar, tie on a handwritten tag with simple instructions, and you’ve created an inexpensive, thoughtful gift that’s practical as well as beautiful.
Every dehydrated orange slice, rosemary sprig or lemon peel has the potential for another purpose. Simmer pots are just one more reminder that our pantry can do so much more than simply feed us. Sometimes it can fragrance our homes too.
