You guys know I have a deep and abiding love for all things cozy. I have shared my go-to stove simmer recipe in the past but wanted to branch out and try some new recipes this year.
If you’ve never used a stove simmer, here are the basics! You fill pot with water and some ingredients that will create a lovely smell, then you leave it simmering on low heat and your home will fill with the scent. It’s natural and smells stronger than any candle I’ve ever used.
You can use it for a couple days (refilling the water as it get low) and it will keep working, although it gets REAL ugly by the end. If you’ve never tried it, I insist you must!
Recipe 1:
–bay leaves
-lemon slices
-lime slices
-2 cinnamon sticks
–whole cloves with half a lemon
This simmer is light and fresh. I made is specifically for those of you who don’t love the heavy spice scent (which I do love!). After an hour of burning, it wasn’t quite strong enough for me, so I added a few sprigs of eucalyptus and an extra cinnamon stick and you could smell the light fragrance throughout all our living areas. So fresh and clean!
-one orange (halved with cloves)
– 3 cinnamon sticks
-fresh cranberries
-lemon peels
This one smells like apple cider (but better) and every person who walks into your home will ask you what you’re baking!
–pine cones
-apples
–cinnamon sticks
This one is perfect for fall! It smells like you’re baking an apple pie in EVERY room of your home. So good! Let me know which ones you guys love! I wish I had a scratch & sniff feature here on the blog so you could test them out.
You can also buy simmers already packed up and ready to gift (or use yourself) so keep those in mind as something fun to give away!
And don’t forget, a good essential oil diffuser (our favorite!) and a holiday scent are also our favorite way to add delicious smells to the season… 🙂 xx- Elsie
P.S. Check out more seasonal decor and essential oil favorites on our wishlist and wishlist!
Note: Be sure to use only natural ingredients without dyes or artificial scents.
Credits// Author and Photography: Elsie Larson.
Some just have to be nasty….I think they’re great and my small crock pot never even makes a difference in my electric bill.
Just wanted to respond to those with concerns about the food waste…I use several similar recipes like this, and they can easily be done without wasting any food.
ie; you can use citrus and apple peels that were going to go into the trash anyways, and cinnamon sticks or cloves that have already been used…also, because all of these ‘ingredients’ are natural, I add it to my compost pile for my garden.
Some people use wood stoves for heat this time of year, they seem to dry the air out in the house, these stove simmers are helpful in replenishing the house with humidity as well. They are very helpful in that respect. Not everyone uses electric heat.
I’ve always wanted to try stovetop simmers but have never found one simple enough, these are with ingredients that I already have around the house! Cannot wait to try them out this winter 🙂 Thank you so so much for sharing! Everyone who’s commenting negatively doesn’t know what their missing…
Happy Holidays!! <3
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No need to be rude about it.
We did this last year Christmas morning and it was the best! I’m going to try your apple and pine cone one this year for sure! (:
This is what I don’t understand. It seems like a waste of energy? Not at all environmentaly concious.
I’ve never heard of stove simmers before but I’m wondering if you could do it in a slow cooker (lid off of course). I have a small 3 quart that would be perfect. I just think the cost would be lower using a slow cooker compared to having the stove on all day. Your thoughts?
They also add moisture to your home which is really nice during dry winters. 🙂
Thanks for these recipes. I just put the lemon one on the stove. Besides the great smell, it’s going to add some needed moisture to the air as well.
Oh gosh, these look like they smell so good! I can’t wait to try the apple pie one 🙂
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These sound like they will smell amazing. I laughed about the scratch and sniff comment. If only!
I love simmer pots so much! Time to get one going this year. I like the natural aspect of adding pine cones, but do you think they add anything to the scent at all? I hope they do smell like pine, but I don’t think I’ve ever considered pine cones to be very fragrant.
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O WOW! These are level two things! I usually just put an orange on the gas for a minute, but these are WOOOOW!! Thank you!
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Ooo, I LOVE simmering spices! Thanks for these great ideas, can’t wait to try them!
Wow, I’ve never thought about such a thing as a stove simmer. Is this a thing in the States? It’s definitely a wonderful idea!
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Looking forward to your new posts.
Amazing design and images. I really love this post and thanks for sharing.
Enjoy reading your blog.
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I love them too and that they are so simple! ??
XX