A simmer pot is a pot of water with fruit, herbs, and spices kept at a low simmer on the stove so the steam scents your whole home. It's one of the easiest ways to make a house smell wonderful, and for a kitchen witch, it's also a quiet way to cast a spell: every ingredient carries an intention, and the steam carries it through every room. Below you'll find how to make a simmer pot, which ingredients to use, and simmer pot recipes for every season, including my autumn prosperity spell.
What Is a Simmer Pot?
A simmer pot is a homemade, stovetop potpourri: water plus fragrant ingredients like orange, cinnamon, and cloves, heated gently so the scent fills the air. You'll also see it called stovetop potpourri or simmering potpourri.
The idea of scenting a room with dried plants is ancient. The word potpourri comes from the French pot-pourri, literally "rotten pot," because early potpourri was made by layering fresh flowers and herbs with salt all summer and letting the mix age before spices went in each fall. A simmer pot skips the waiting: you get the same fragrance in about ten minutes.
How to Make a Simmer Pot
To make a simmer pot, fill a saucepan two-thirds full of water, add your fruit, herbs, and spices, bring it to a boil, then turn it down to the lowest simmer and add water as it cooks off.
- Choose your intention. Decide what you'd like the pot to bring in, like prosperity, protection, or calm, and pick ingredients to match.
- Fill a pot with water. Use a small or medium saucepan and fill it about two-thirds full, roughly 4 cups.
- Add your ingredients. Add the fruit, herbs, and spices one at a time, and say each one's purpose out loud as it goes in.
- Bring it to a boil. Heat the pot on high, and as the steam starts to rise, picture your intention filling your home.
- Lower it to a simmer. As soon as it boils, turn the heat to the lowest setting that keeps a few small bubbles.
- Top it off. Check the pot every 30 minutes and add a splash of hot water whenever the level drops, so it never cooks dry.
- Turn it off when you leave. Switch off the burner before you leave the house or go to bed. Cover the cooled pot and refrigerate it to use again.
Simmer Pot Ingredients by Intention
The best simmer pot ingredients are fruits, spices, and herbs that smell good when warm and carry the intention you're working with. Mix and match from this table:
| Ingredient | Magical correspondence |
|---|---|
| Orange slices or orange peel | Happiness, optimism, and the sun |
| Cinnamon sticks | Drawing money and speeding up magic |
| Whole cloves | Good luck, prosperity, and protection |
| Star anise | Luck, protection, and psychic awareness |
| Rosemary | Cleansing, protection, and remembrance |
| Juniper berries | Purification and protection |
| Lemon slices or lemon peel | Cleansing, clarity, and joy |
| Bay leaves | Wishes and success |
| Apple slices | Love and abundance |
| Cranberries | Protection and vitality |
| Pine or fir sprigs | Renewal and endurance through the dark |
| Vanilla (a split bean or 1 teaspoon extract) | Love, comfort, and a sweet home |
| Rose petals | Love and self-love |
| Fresh mint | Freshness, energy, and money |
| Ginger slices | Speed, energy, and courage |
Whole spices and slices of fruit work best. Ground spices turn the water muddy and scorch more easily.
Simmer Pot Recipes for Every Season
Each of these simmer pot recipes uses about 4 cups of water in a small saucepan. Follow the steps above, and add water as it simmers.
Autumn Prosperity Simmer Pot Spell
This is my autumn simmer pot spell for calling more money into your household. Nothing brings warmth to a home like a little cinnamon, clove, orange, and magick, and all you need is a pot, three ingredients, and water.
Spell timing: the new moon, the waxing moon, the full moon, Thursdays, or anytime you want your house to smell wonderful.
Ingredients:
- The peel of 1 orange, or 2 tablespoons dried orange peel, for happiness and optimism
- 5 cinnamon sticks, for drawing money and speeding up the magic
- 2 tablespoons whole cloves, for good luck and prosperity
- About 4 cups of water
- A saucepan, preferably copper (our copper care guide covers cleanup)
Instructions:
- Add all the ingredients to the pot, stating each one's purpose in your spell as you place it in.
- Add the water to the pot.
- Heat the pot on high. As it comes to a boil, visualize money filling your home and your life, like the steam that has started dancing from the surface of the pot.
- When it comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer.
Winter Solstice Simmer Pot
This winter simmer pot smells like evergreens and spice, and it's a lovely way to fill the house for Yule and the longest night. It's the same mix many people know as a holiday or Christmas simmer pot.
- 1 orange, sliced into rounds, for the returning sun
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, for protection and vitality
- 3 cinnamon sticks, for warmth and prosperity
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves, for good luck
- 3 star anise pods, for luck in the new year
- 1 small sprig of pine or fir, or 1 tablespoon juniper berries, for renewal
For more seasonal ideas, see our Yule correspondences and winter solstice traditions.
Spring Cleansing Simmer Pot
This spring simmer pot is bright and clean, made for opening the windows and clearing out the winter.
- 1 lemon, sliced into rounds, for cleansing and clarity
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1 tablespoon dried, for cleansing and protection
- 2 bay leaves, for wishes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, for a sweet, comforting home
Summer Citrus Simmer Pot
This summer simmer pot is light and fresh, and it's a nice way to bring energy into the house on a slow afternoon.
- 1 lemon and 1 lime, sliced, for joy and freshness
- A handful of fresh mint, for energy and money
- 3 or 4 slices of fresh ginger, for courage and get-up-and-go
Simmer Pot Recipes by Intention
These simmer pots are built around a single intention. Use the same method and about 4 cups of water.
Protection Simmer Pot
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon juniper berries
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
For more ways to protect your home, see our guide to protection spells and our herbs for protection.
Love Simmer Pot
- 1 apple, sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- A handful of dried rose petals
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cleansing Simmer Pot
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 small sprig of pine
- A pinch of salt
Can You Make a Simmer Pot in a Slow Cooker?
Yes, you can make a simmer pot in a slow cooker, and it's the easiest way to keep one going for hours. Add your ingredients and water, set it to low, and leave the lid off or cracked so the scent can escape. Check the water level every hour or two.
A small potpourri warmer or candle-style warmer also works for a little batch on a desk or nightstand. Use a few spoonfuls of the same ingredients and top it with hot water as it evaporates.
DIY Simmer Pot Gift Kits
A simmer pot kit is a jar or bag of dried simmer pot ingredients with a tag that tells the recipient how to use it. It's an easy, inexpensive handmade gift.
- Dry the fruit. Slice oranges, lemons, or apples about a quarter-inch thick and bake them on a rack at 200°F for 2 to 3 hours, turning once, until completely dry.
- Fill the jar or bag. Layer the dried fruit with cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, and a sprig of dried rosemary or a few bay leaves.
- Add a tag. Write: "Add to a pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low, adding water as needed." Add the intention too, like "for a warm and prosperous home."
Fresh cranberries and fresh herbs don't keep, so leave them out of gift jars, or tell the recipient to add their own.
Simmer Pot Safety
A simmer pot is safe as long as you watch the water and the heat.
- Never leave a simmer pot on the stove when you leave the house or go to sleep.
- Check the water every 30 minutes and top it off so the pot never boils dry.
- Keep the pot on a back burner with the handle turned in, out of reach of kids and pets.
- Don't add essential oils to a simmer pot; whole ingredients give plenty of scent.
- A slow cooker on low is the safer choice for an all-day simmer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Simmer Pots
What Do You Put in a Simmer Pot?
You put water and fragrant ingredients in a simmer pot. Classic choices are orange slices, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, rosemary, and cranberries.
How Long Can You Leave a Simmer Pot On?
You can leave a simmer pot on for several hours as long as you're home and topping off the water every 30 minutes. Turn it off before you leave or go to bed.
How Many Times Can You Reuse a Simmer Pot?
You can reuse a simmer pot for 2 to 3 days. Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator between uses, add fresh water each time, and throw it out if the water turns cloudy or smells off.
Do Simmer Pots Actually Make Your House Smell Good?
Yes. The steam carries the scent of the fruit and spices through the room, and a pot on the stove will usually scent a small home or the main floor of a house within 20 to 30 minutes.
Can You Put Dried Ingredients in a Simmer Pot?
Yes. Dried orange peel, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, rosemary, and juniper berries all work well in a simmer pot, and they're what most simmer pot gift kits use.
What Is a Simmer Pot Spell?
A simmer pot spell is a simmer pot made with a magical intention. You choose ingredients for their correspondences, state each one's purpose as you add it, and visualize your intention filling your home as the steam rises.
What Is the Best Simmer Pot for Winter?
The best simmer pot for winter is orange, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and a sprig of pine or juniper. It smells like evergreens and spice and suits Yule and the winter solstice.
Copyright 2017 Jennifer "Aurora Moone" McDonald / All Rights Reserved.
