The windows are shut and locked, the heat is on at home, the air is drier than the Sahara Desert, and your nose whistles with every breath you take. I have a solution! The Simmer Pot is a fun way to put moisture back into the air and fill your home with a yummy scent that distracts from the cabin fever that closes in around us during these darker, shorter days of winter. It’s a fun way to get creative and tap into those witchy-wizardy vibes we thought we put away until Halloween.

Step One: Head to your local thrift or secondhand store and find a pot that speaks to you that you can designate as “The Simmer Pot”. Be sure it does not have a ‘nonstick’ coating on it. I love a retro copper bottom pot, or a hammered stainless-steel pot myself, but you know yourself best! Having a designated simmer pot means you’re not risking needing this specific pot to cook other essentials during mealtimes, gatherings or celebrations.

Step Two: Channel your vibe and go hunter-gatherer for the ingredients to match. Here are some ingredient suggestions and pro-tips.

Fresh Ingredients:

• Citrus is amazing in a simmer pot. Oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits are great for short-term simmer pots and quite pretty! I do find that the rinds tend to smell bitter after a little while in a simmer pot, so if you are going for longevity, I would lean more towards citrus extracts (see below). Citrus juice concentrate can also be used in place of slices or extract.
• Apples are great and can usually be bought by the bag in the summer and fall. Be sure to slice the apple horizontally because the slices are stunning!
• Fresh cranberries can be found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store, usually in bags.
• Think about using the tops of strawberries, the ends of the cucumbers, the cores of the apples, etc. We don’t eat these parts, and they pack the same great smell as the fruit part we eat!

Dry Ingredients & Extracts:

• Cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, nutmeg, peppercorn, and more, can all be found in the spice aisle at the grocery store. Go with your gut!
• Extracts can be found in the baking aisle. A word of caution about peppermint extract – be sure to only use a drop or two, otherwise you risk gassing yourself out! (Go ahead, ask me how I know)

Plant Ingredients & Essential Oils:

• Eucalyptus leaves, evergreen sprigs, rosemary sprigs, lavender sprigs, mint leaves, and chamomile flowers, can usually be found in the floral section, or your local plant store. Just be careful with fresh eucalyptus because it is poisonous to cats. All of these scents in the form of essential oils work, too!

Step Three: Get your witch/wizards hat on, and brew, baby! Throw together whichever ingredients speak to you, I promise there is no wrong way to do it.

Step Four: Fill your pot with water on top of all your ingredients, bring it all to a rolling boil, and then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer & steam away. The low heat ensures that the water continues to evaporate slowly, filling your home with yummy-smelling moisture-rich air.

Step Five: Be sure to keep track of the pot and add water as it evaporates. The beauty of all these ingredients is they are all compostable/biodegradable when you’re ready to start a fresh pot. Consider starting a fresh simmer pot after you tire of the current smell, or the ingredients are looking (or most especially smelling) a little aged.

Step Six: Last, but absolutely not least – ALWAYS be sure to turn off your stove before going to bed.

If you are nervous to jump into the world of simmer pots, and not sure what ingredients are best, here are some tried and true recipes that I recommend as a jumping off point. I titled them because that’s the vibe they give me, but please feel free to be complete and total rebels and make a summer solstice simmer pot in the dead of winter, you revolutionary, you!

Fall Spice: Apple slices, cinnamon, cloves, cranberries, orange, nutmeg

Winter Solstice: Evergreen, peppermint, vanilla

Sicilian Spring: Strawberry, basil, peppercorn, sea salt

Summer Solstice: Lemon, lime, mint, thyme, grapefruit

Relax & Calm: Eucalyptus, lemon, rosemary, lavender, chamomile

Energize: Orange, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorn