How to Make Fall-Winter Simmer Pot

Fall- Winter Simmer Pot – An Ancient Practice

The history of fall-winter simmer pots goes back to the times when families huddled around the fireplace during fall and winter evenings. And shared food and anecdotes to cheer up each other. Times when our bond with Nature was stronger. When Nature’s produce provided us not only food but nourishment for mind and soul as well. One can imagine an old shepherd’s cottage with a simmer pot resting on the hearth, filled with the goodness of seasonal fruits scraps, herbs and spices, spreading lovely fragrance and warming the house.  The traditional fall-winter simmer pot symbolizes abundance, healing, cleansing and love by combing the four elements of Nature – fire, water, air, earth.

Simmer Pot – Organic Aromatherapy

If you love a fragrant home, like me, then you must be in love with scented candles and diffusers as well. I totally love the drama and romance of candles and the decorative element pretty diffusers bring to a room. But what if you create something equally powerful and all-natural from what you already have in your kitchen? And no worries about inhaling petroleum based paraffin and artificial scents. The added bonus is that the boiling water releases moisture into the air and works the same way a humidifier does. With herbs and spices simmering in the pot, the steam that spreads through the house, can really help with colds, coughs and allergies in fall and winter.

How to Make a Fall-Winter Simmer Pot

Creating something beautiful couldn’t be simpler. All you need is a saucepan or kettle with water and some ingredients from your fridge, garden or pantry. Boil the whole thing for a few minutes and then reduce heat to a simmer. You can keep adding water to the pan to keep it going for as long as you want. Usually a panful lasts an hour but do keep an eye and refill every 35-40 minutes (depending on the capacity of your pot). If you’re worried about keeping the flame on, you can also use a Crock-pot or slow-cooker as simmer pot. You can mix and match your favorite fragrances and even use use food discards like apple or orange peels.

Can You Drink From Your Simmer Pot

Yes! But only if all the ingredients you put into it are safe for human consumption and you rinsed them properly before adding to the boiling water. When it smells so inviting, you could feel like drinking a mugful while cuddling up with a book. If you only added, fruit peels, spices and herbs, it would actually make a really good herbal tea. And in that case, you can add some apple or orange juice or apple cider as well to enhance the flavor and health benefits. But if you added some other ingredients that smelt nice and might not be edible, like some flowers, leaves or tree bark, then use it just to make the house smell nice.

Makes a Great Festive Gift

How? Don’t you love giving gifts of potpourri to your friends and loves ones on special occasions. I sure do. To think of it, a simmer pot is really a potpourri simmering in hot water. While a potpourri is dried and placed in an open place in the home to spread the subtle fragrance, simmer pot is a fragrant steam that wafts through your house. Just pick a medium sized jar and fill it with your favorite fragrant ingredients. Place a gift tag and brief instructions for use on it and let your friends enjoy the heartwarming and delightful scents of the season.