Enjoy the sweet smell of apples and warming spices in this fragrant fall stovetop potpourri. In this DIY, you’ll learn how to make a stovetop potpourri and make your house smell amazing.
Heating up an air freshener simmer pot is a great way to fragrance naturally – without harsh chemicals and toxins. Simmer pot recipes are an inexpensive way to fragrance your home naturally, using ingredients and materials you most likely already have at home.
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What is a stovetop potpourri air freshener?
Astovetop air freshener simmer pot is a natural method to scent and humidify theair. “Potpourri” means mixture of things, and just like traditional dry potpourri,a simmer pot contains a mix of different materials, including fresh and dried fruits,herbs, spices, and flowers.
The ingredientsare put into a pot filled with water and simmer on the stove. And while the potpourribubbles away, the fragrant steam waft through your house and give your home a freshand delicious fall scent.
What are the benefits of a fall stovetop potpourri?
Skip thesynthetic room sprays and artificial candles and make an autumn stovetop airfreshener. A liquid potpourri is a great natural way to make your home smelllike fall – without chemicals and artificial fragrances. While the potpourrisimmers, water evaporates, and small droplets not only scent your home but alsohumidify the dry autumn air.
A simmerpot is a good homemade air freshener for those who are allergic to artificialfragrances. Some people also react sensitive to essential oils, which aren’tneeded to create a fragrant simmer pot with apples and spices. And for those ofyou still wondering can you add essential oils to a simmer pot, read on to findout!
Homemade Fall Stovetop Potpourri Recipe Ingredients
Applesare the star in this homemade potpourri recipe for fall and I added a handful ofspices to create an abundant fall fragrance. Think of these simmer potpourri ingredientsas guidelines. You can be creative and switch out ingredients to make the simmeringpotpourri recipe your own. Here are the ingredients we need to make this fallstovetop recipe:
- 2 – 3 small apples – Small aromatic apples work best. Instead of using whole fruits, the homemade potpourri can also be prepared with leftover apple peel. If you ever wondered what can I use apple peelings for? Now you know: make a liquid potpourri.
- spices – Spices give the DIY fall potpourri that warm and homey autumn smell. I used whole cinnamon sticks, anise stars, allspice berries, and cardamom pods. Cloves or vanilla beans are great stovetop scents, too. You can also make the simmer air freshener with ground spices or a spice mix. Try our homemade apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice, or use this organic spice blend.
- fresh lemon peel – Use an organic lemon if possible. I wanted only a subtle lemon smell but if you want more tang throw some lemon slices into the DIY potpourri recipe. You can also play with other citrus fruit such as oranges or tangerines.
- water – Use fresh tap water to simmer the fall potpourri ingredients. In case the water in your area is chlorinated, filter the water first to remove the chlorine. Alternatively, use bottled water.
Tips to make the best simmer stovetop potpourri for fall
Ready tomake your own fall stovetop potpourri? Use this homemade autumn potpourri tofreshen and humidify the air in your home. There are only a few simple steps inthis recipe for a stovetop potpourri. You can warm a liquid potpourri on thestove top and or make a crockpot potpourri. I have included instructions forboth stove simmers.
Prep the fruits
- First,wash the apples and lemon under warm running water. If the apples are waxed,try to wash off most of the wax.
- Next,cut the apples in halves or quarters. I could fit 4 small apples into mypot, but 2 to 3 are enough to give you agreat natural apple fragrance. And don’t discard the seeds! Apple seeds containbenzaldehyde, a substance that smells like almond.
- Usinga small paring knife or potato peeler, cut away the rind of the lemon. Thesurface of the lemon is slippery, so be careful that you don’t cut yourself.
Simmer potpourri on the stove top – How do I make my house smell good on the stove?
Settingup a simmering potpourri recipe is really easy and only takes 5 minutes prep. Youcan boil the stove simmer recipe for hours. Just make sure to replenish thewater to avoid burning the ingredients and don’t leave the simmer potunattended when kids or pets are around. Here are the simple steps:
- Placethe apples, lemon peel, and spices into a small or medium pot or saucepan.
- Addwater until half full, the apples should be swimming in the water and nottouching the bottom of the pot.
- Bringthe water to a boil.
- Thenreduce the heat to low for a mild simmer.
Crockpot potpourri
Theinstructions on how to make a crockpot potpourri in a slow cooker or crockpotare pretty much the same as for the stovetop method.
- Addthe potpourri materials into your crockpot or slow cooker and add water untilhalf full.
- Cookon slow and refill water as needed.
Can I use essential oils in a fall stovetop potpourri? Homemade potpourri with essential oils
Yes, youcan add essential oils to a homemade stovetop potpourri. While our simmeringpotpourri smells wonderful on its own, essential oils can be used to enhancethe fragrance and for added aromatherapy benefits.
For anautumn-themed homemade potpourri with essential oils, try spicy essential oils like cinnamon bark, clove bud and ginger. Woodsy scents such as pine, cedarwood,or balsam fir, are also excellent stovetop scents and good for stovetop aromatherapy.
I recommendedsimmering the potpourri for 30 minutes before you added the essential oils, soyou know how the DYI stovetop air freshener potpourri smells by itself. And don’tadd more than 10 to 15 drops to the potpourri. Essential oils can causeheadaches and respiratory problems if too much is used.
How long does stovetop potpourri last? Can I reuse stove top potpourri?
A DIYfall stove potpourri is perfect for a day. How long it lasts after that dependshow long it simmered for. If you simmered the potpourri for 1 to 2 hours, youcan probably use the potpourri on the next day. Let the potpourri cool andstore in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
If youcooked the potpourri for several hours, the apples will eventually become softand start falling apart. In this case, the potpourri can’t be used again andyou have to discard the fruits. You can place the cinnamon sticks and anise starson a paper towel to dry and reuse them in craft projects.
Iusually let my homemade potpourri simmer for 5 to six hours with the kitchendoor opens so my entire house smells amazing. After six hours, I take the potpourrioff the heat and let it sit on the counter overnight and my home smell amazingon the next day, too.
More DIY home fragrance projects
For more homemade air freshener ideas, check out these DIYs. I have more DIY autumn home fragrance ideas to share with you. Take a look at these natural home fragrance with essential oil DIYs to try:Report this ad
- 6 essential oil blends for fall– These beautiful essential oil blends include autumn favourites such as pumpkin spice, apple pie or sweater weather and more essential oil combinations for diffuser.
- 6 floral autumn diffuser blends– These fall essential oil blends combine flower scents and warm fall fragrances.
- pumpkin spice candles – These pumpkin spice scented candles are pretty to look at and smell even better! A must for pumpkin spice season.
- pumpkin spice wax melts – Cute soy wax melts and more pumpkin spice… oh my!
Do you know more simmer pot recipes or stove scent ideas? I’d love to hear about your homemade stovetop simmers and potpourri mix!
Fall Stovetop Potpourri Recipe – Easy Homemade Autumn Simmer Pot
Yield: 1 simmer pot
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Enjoy the sweet smell of apples and warming spices in this fragrant fall stovetop potpourri. In this DIY, you’ll learn how to make a stovetop potpourri and make your house smell amazing. Heating up an air freshener simmer pot is a great way to fragrance naturally – without harsh chemicals and toxins. Simmer pot recipes are an inexpensive way to fragrance your home naturally, using ingredients and materials you most likely already have at home.
Materials
- 2 – 3 small apples
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 8 anise stars
- 1 tbsp allspice berries
- 1 tbsp cardamom pods
- fresh lemon peel
- 2 – 3 cups / 500 – 750 ml fresh water
- 10 – 15 drops essential oils (optional)
Instructions
Stovetop Potpourri
- Cut the apples in half and place in a small or medium pot. Tip: To avoid browning, rub the apples with lemon juice.
- Add the cinnamon sticks, anise stars, allspice berries, and cardamom pods.
- Add to 2 to 3 cups water.
- Bring to a boil on the stove, then reduce the heat down to a simmer.
- The fall stovetop potpourri can simmer all day. Check every 30 to 60 minutes, adding more water as needed.
Crockpot Potpourri
- Cut the apples in half and put in a slow cooker or crockpot.
- Add the cinnamon sticks, anise stars, allspice berries, and cardamom pods.
- Add to 2 to 3 cups water.
- Let simmer on low throughout the day.
- Check occasionally and top up with water when necessary.
Notes
How long does a stovetop potpourri last?
A DIY fall stove potpourri is perfect for a day. How long it lasts after that depends how long it simmered for. If you simmered the potpourri for 1 to 2 hours, you can probably use the potpourri on the next day. Let the potpourri cool and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
If you cooked the potpourri for several hours, the apples will eventually become soft and start falling apart. In this case, the potpourri can’t be used again and you have to discard the fruits. You can place the cinnamon sticks and anise stars on a paper towel to dry and reuse them in craft projects.
I usually let my homemade potpourri simmer for 5 to six hours with the kitchen door opens so my entire house smells amazing. After six hours, I take the potpourri off the heat and let it sit on the counter overnight and my home smell amazing on the next day, too.
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