This Christmas Simmer Pot (Stovetop Potpourri) is one of the easiest ways to make your whole home smell warm, cozy, and festive without lighting a candle. It's a simple, homemade recipe made with real ingredients like fresh oranges, cranberries, rosemary, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves.
Why This Recipe is the Best
As it gently simmers, the fragrance fills your home with the traditional scent of Christmas morning. It also makes a seriously cute and simple neighbor gift-just package the ingredients in a jar, add a tag with directions, and you've got an instant homemade Christmas gift everyone loves.
This is the best Christmas stovetop potpourri because it uses whole spices and fresh ingredients, which produce a stronger, longer-lasting aroma than powdered spices. When we tested powdered cinnamon and cloves, the scent only lasted about an hour and was much more subtle. But whole cloves, fresh rosemary, and broken cinnamon sticks release layer after layer of warm, spiced fragrance for hours.
Fill your home with the smell of Christmas with our easy Molasses Cookies, Gingerbread Loaf, and Candy Cane Cookies.
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Key Ingredients
Don't try to drink the potpourri. Technically, the ingredients are edible, but the purpose is fragrance, not flavor.
- Water- It's very important that you pay attention to the water level. If it gets too low, the ingredients will burn.
- Cranberries- Fresh or frozen, both work for this simmer pot.
- Fresh spices- We love the fresh cinnamon sticks, rosemary sprigs, and cloves. When these spices are ground up, they don't have the same fragrance effect.
- Oranges- Oranges add a splash of Christmas citrus.
How to make Christmas Potpourri
Learn how to make easy Christmas Potpourri with this simple DIY recipe.
- Prep all of the ingredients. Slice the oranges; leave the orange unpeeled.
- Add all of the ingredients to a simmer pot with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 2-8 hours. Add water as needed.
Hint: Be sure not to simmer it at too high a temperature-gentle heat is what brings out the fragrance without burning anything.
Common Mistakes
One common mistake is using powdered cinnamon or powdered cloves instead of whole spices. Powdered spices dissolve into the water and lose their scent quickly, giving you a light aroma that fades fast.
Don't forget to add more water as the pot simmers. If the water level gets too low, the mixture can scorch and ruin the scent (and the pot). Also,
Top tip
For the best texture, shred your own cheddar using the thick side of a grater block. A fine grate just blends in too much and loses that nice cheesy bite.
Recipe
Christmas Simmer Pot (Homemade Potpourri)
Ingredients
- water
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 orange large, thinly sliced
- 2-3 sprigs rosemary
- 4 cinnamon sticks broken in half to release the aroma
- 1 teaspoon cloves whole are preferred, but powder will work too
Instructions
- Fill pot ¾ full with water. Add cranberries, orange slices, rosemary sprigs, broken cinnamon sticks and cloves.
- Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer on low 2-8 hours, adding water whenever it starts to get low. This can be taken off the heat and covered with a lid then used the next day. To use the next day, remove the lid, add water until it's ¾ full, bring to a boil then turn down and simmer as long as desired, replacing the water as needed. Discard contents when finished.
Notes
- You can add other elements such as pine, other citrus or allspice berries, if desired.
- We recommend getting rid of the contents after 2 days of use.
Nutrition
Variations
This recipe is flexible, so feel free to make it your own.
- No Cranberries- You can omit the cranberries entirely-many stovetop mixes don't use them, and the aroma still turns out beautiful.
- Pine Needles and citrus- You can also add pine needles, lemon slices, lime slices, or allspice berries for extra layers of holiday fragrance.
- Pine Clippings-Rosemary sprigs can be swapped for a small pine clipping if you want a fresher, outdoorsy scent.
- Sweet- If you want something sweeter, add extra citrus or a splash of vanilla extract.
Gifting
For gift-giving, assemble everything in a jar and attach a cute tag with instructions. Add a tag with directions, and you've got an instant homemade Christmas gift everyone loves.
For gifting, assemble the ingredients in a jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days or freeze the cranberries until ready to use.
Storing Christmas Simmer Pot
If you're using this as a stovetop potpourri over multiple days, you can refrigerate the cooked mixture overnight. The next day, just add more water, bring it back to a boil, and let it simmer again.
Once simmered, discard the potpourri after two days of use, as the ingredients will lose their scent.
FAQ
Christmas stovetop potpourri is a natural fragrance blend made with fresh fruits, herbs, and whole spices that simmer on your stove and fill your home with a cozy holiday aroma. It's a simple, traditional way to scent your home without artificial ingredients.
Just fill a pot ¾ full with water, add the oranges, cranberries, rosemary, cinnamon sticks, and cloves, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add more water as needed and let it gently bubble for 2-8 hours.
The classic recipe includes oranges, cranberries, rosemary, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves. You can also add pine, allspice berries, lemon, or apples. Whole spices create the strongest and longest-lasting scent.
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