Summer Simmer Pot | The Aromas of Summer’s Best
Discover the perfect summer simmer pot recipe to fill your home with delightful seasonal aromas. A refreshing summer simmer pot on your stove using fresh, natural ingredients.
What are your favorite summer-fresh aromas? Is it the smell of summer flowers or herbs just picked from the garden? Does the smell of fresh-cut grass fill you with memories of summers from your past? A simmer pot makes it easy to fill your home with your favorite summer scents.
I’ve used simmer pots for decades to fill our home with the season’s scents. They’re easy to make!
What Is A Simmer Pot
A summer simmer pot is a delightful and aromatic way to refresh and fill your home with the scents of the season using fresh, summer-specific ingredients. Typically, it includes fruits, fresh herbs, and fragrant flowers. It can also include spices, as long as they are an undertone or remind you of summer.
These ingredients are gently simmered in a pot of water on the stove, releasing their natural essential oils and aromas to create a pleasant and inviting atmosphere that captures the essence of summer.
Another name for a simmer pot is stovetop potpourri.
easy summer diy
Reasons To Love A Summer Simmer Pot
- What’s Old Is New Again: Simmering Pots have been made for centuries. They are tried and true and are a classic way to enjoy a heavenly-smelling home.
- Natural Fragrances: Using seasonal ingredients like lemons, limes, mint, and lavender helps capture the essence of summer.
- Easy To Make: Just add your favorite ingredients to a pot of water and gently let it simmer.
- Customize Your Own Summer Scent: Create your own personal summer home scent.
- Create A Welcoming Home Atmosphere: Beautiful scents are part of a welcoming home and are just as important as comfortable decor.
Summer Simmer Pot Ingredients
The hallmark of summer scents is their fresh-from-the-garden aromas. Mixing your favorites will create a signature summer scent for your home. One of the best things to remember is to mix two to four scents together. This will keep your scent light and recognizable.
I kept the ingredients for my summer simmer pot very simple and clean-smelling.
For my potpourri or simmer pot, I chose:
- Lemons: Lemons remind me of hot days spent drinking refreshing lemonade. They are bright, and their essential oils last long after the other aromas fade. Add slices of lemons to a simmering pot.
- Mint: Mint is a quintessential summer herb that grows riotously all summer. Snip a spring of mint and add it to the pot.
- Lavender: A beautiful and coveted summer perennial with a clean fragrance. Clip the flowers and the leaves for a lovely, familiar smell.
- Feverfew Flowers: The flower of an herb that looks similar to camomile flowers. They look pretty floating in a clear glass simmer pot.
More Ingredients For The Summer Simmer Pot
If you want to capture the aromas of summer, here are a few ingredients that would work in your simmer pot…
Fruits
- limes
- grapefruit and other citrus fruits
- strawberry (tops)
- peaches (skins)
- pineapple
- coconut (dried)
Herbs
- basil
- fresh thyme
- peppermint
- eucalyptus
Spices
- peppercorns
- ginger
Flowers (pesticide-free)
- rose petals
- peony petals
- camomile flowers
- jasmine flowers
Optional Ingredients
- vanilla extract
- coconut extract
Get creative and use a mixture of your favorite summer scents.
I like to avoid ingredients that have a distinct aroma that reminds me of another season, such as oranges, which I use in my Christmas Simmer Pot, or heavy herbs, like rosemary. However, add what you like the best.
What Size Pot Works Best
The short answer is any pot that will hold the ingredients you put in it. My favorite simmer pot for ingredients is a clear glass pot you can find HERE. I like this glass pot because it is just the right size, light, and looks attractive.
This white Dutch Oven is so pretty and can be used for dishes as well.
Can I Reuse The Ingredients
Reusing a simmering pot is a great way to extend the life of your aromatic ingredients and their fragrance. After your initial simmer, let the pot cool down and strain out any solids. Store the liquid in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to use it again, simply pour the liquid back into the pot, add a bit of fresh water, and bring it to a gentle simmer on the stove.
You can refresh the scent by adding a few new ingredients, such as extra fruit or fresh herbs, so your home continues to smell delightful without wasting anything.
Important Things To Keep In Mind
You want to keep these things in mind when making and heating a simmer pot…
- Supervise the Pot: Always keep an eye on the simmer pot while it’s on the stove. Never leave it unattended to avoid the risk of boiling dry, damaging your pot, and potentially starting a fire.
- Low Heat: Simmer on low heat to maintain a gentle bubble. Do not boil the ingredients because high heat can cause them to burn and produce unpleasant odors.
- Add Fresh Water Regularly: The water in the pot will evaporate over time, so check the pot periodically and add more water as needed to keep the ingredients submerged and prevent them from scorching.
- Choose Non-Reactive Cookware: Use stainless steel, glass, or enamel pots. Avoid using aluminum pots, as they can react with acidic ingredients like citrus, potentially affecting the fragrance and the pot itself.
- Allergy Considerations: Be mindful of allergies or sensitivities to your chosen ingredients, especially if you have guests. Some people might be sensitive to strong scents or certain herbs.
- Keep The Simmer Pot Uncovered: No need to put a lid on the simmering pot. The idea is for the steam to carry the aromas in the pot throughout your home.
Summer Simmer Pot Recipe
Print RecipeEquipment
- glass pot or small Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 fresh lemon, thinly sliced
- a few mint sprigs
- a few lavender sprigs, leave and or flowers
- feverfew or camomile flowers
Instructions
- Fill water in a pot until it is about half full. Add the ingredients. Simmer on low on a stovetop so it is just bubbling.
- Add more water when needed.
Common Question About A Simmering Pot
What are the benefits of a simmer pot?
A simmer pot provides a natural and customizable way to add a beautiful fragrance to your home, using fresh ingredients like citrus and herbs. It’s an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to synthetic air fresheners, providing a welcoming and seasonal aroma.
Can I drink a simmer pot?
If all the ingredients in the simmering pot are edible, I guess you could, though you probably should not. A simmer pot is not made to be consumed. If they have been simmered for any length of time, they may not taste as pleasant as they smell. It’s best to drink something else.
What to do with a simmer pot when finished?
If you do not want to reuse it, discard it.
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What an easy and great idea!
It is and it a summer simmer pot will make your whole home smell divine!
This is a lovely idea for summer, Yvonne. I love the idea of a glass pot, but this one can’t be used on gas stovetops. I assume that any sauce pot would work to create the summer summer scent.
I put the glass pot on a flame diffuser. Then I can use it.