Simple Autumn Simmer Pot Recipes for the Kitchen Witch (2024)

There is nothing quite like the scents of Autumn. Am I right? Cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, pumpkin spice and apple pie. Autumn has, without a doubt, some of my favourite aromas. And nothing creates a warm cozy atmospheremore than having these wafting throughout your home. Enter the simmer pot.

Now while I am a huge fan of scented candles and room sprays (natural ones of course), there is nothing quite like the way aromas created by a simmer pot fill your home.

Simmer pots are an efficient and non-toxic way to have your home smelling like autumn in a few short minutes.

And, added bonus, they also have wonderful magickal properties attached to them.

Read on to discover a few delicious recipes to have your home smelling lovely and your kitchen magick brewing this autumn season.

The Simmer Pot

Simmer pots are like boiled potpourri. Which sounds a bit weird, but it’s an accurate description lol.

You choose your ingredients, put them in a pot with water, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and let it do its thing.

They couldn’t be any easier, just be sure you don’t let your pot boil dry! If you want to keep the pot going simply add more water when it gets low. And obviously never leave your stove on when you aren’t home. Let’s use our common sense here friends.

Simmer pots also lack the harsh toxins that are packed into conventional air freshener sprays and scented candles. Just fresh ingredients from your kitchen! Fake fragrance oils need not apply.

One more benefit, they are economical. Simmer pots are cost effective and can be thrown together with things you likely already have in your kitchen.

Just Say No to Chemicals

So let’s be real, generic scented candles and air fresheners are some pretty serious toxic offenders.

Paraffin candles give off toxic fumes on their own and now lets add mystery ingredient fragrance oils on top of that. Cause you know, they can just say they use ‘fragrance oils’ and be done with it. What exactly is in the ‘fragrance’? We really have no idea.

And air fresheners are a whole other ball game. You are literally just breathing in toxic fumes. That are almost always overpowering enough to have you choking on them. How refreshing! Note the sarcasm there.

My favourite ways to naturally freshen up my space are room sprays (non-toxic that I blend myself), soy essential oil scented candles, using my diffuser, and you guessed it, simmer pots!

There are so many natural ways to have your home smelling divine. You can most definitely skip the artificial stuff.

Simmer Pot Magick

Another great thing about a simmer pot is they can be used to assist in your magickal goals. You just need to choose the right ingredients to fit your agenda.

Items that create those autumn vibes have a wide array of magickal properties attached to them that can be used to your advantage.

When I do a simmer pot with a magickal goal in mind, I follow these simple steps to incorporate my magick and intention into the process:

  1. Fill pot with water about 3/4 full.
  2. Add ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce to a simmer, stir the pot clockwise. Unless you are doing a banishing or releasing spell, in that case stir the pot counter clockwise.
  4. Visualize your desired outcome or goal for the magickal work you are doing. Are you aiming to create happiness in the home, or more money in your wallet? Whatever it may be focus on what you want the outcome to look like. Continue with the visualization and stirring until it feels right to finish. You’ll know when!
  5. You may recite your goal, a chant, or ritual words while you stir as well. Something pertaining to your desired outcome.
  6. When you finish I would let the pot boil down until there is about an inch of water left and then turn it off. Your work is now complete

Note: You may also trace runes or symbols related to your goal in the air above the pot if you feel so inclined. Feel free to be inventive and really personalize the experience!

Simmer Pot Recipes

Apple Pie – for peace, harmony and love

  • 3 apple slices
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tbsp all spice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Pumpkin Spice – for prosperity, success, and wealth

  • 1 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 2 orange slices
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

A Taste of Autumn – for protection and releasing negative energies

  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tbsp whole cloves
  • 2 orange slices
  • 1 lemon slice
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Witch Spice – for balance and inner strength

  • 1 tsp star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tbsp all spice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp ginger

These amounts are simply guidelines and ratios that I enjoy. Use more or less to suit your own tastes. Be creative and mix things up!

What to do with your simmer pot ingredients when you are finished?

Another awesome thing about simmer pots is that they don’t create waste. You can simply compost your ingredients or dry them out and store in an airtight container to be used in future spells or for potpourri.

A note on using essential oils in your simmer pots.

Many people recommend essential oils as a good ingredient for your simmer pots. I fully have to disagree for a couple of reasons.

Essential oils are expensive and why use Lemon EO when you can use leftover lemon rinds? Or Clove EO when you have the spice sitting in your cupboard?

Another big reason for me is that essential oils are all flammable and have their own flashpoints (point at which the vapours formed can ignite if exposed to spark or flame). This caution is especially true if you have a gas stove.

I simply don’t use them in the kitchen at all when I have the stove on, call me paranoid, which I most definitely can be lol. Some people use them all of the time for their pots and it’s totally fine.

If you do decide to use them just use caution, common sense, and know well the oils you are working with.

But really an unnecessary addition to your simmer pots in my opinion when there are so many whole, natural, and affordable ingredients already in your kitchen.

Final thoughts.

Do you already do simmer pots at home?If so, what is your favourite recipe?

As always, I love to hear from you,so please leave a comment or connect with me on socials.

If you enjoyed this post and for more Autumn inspiration you can check out my newly released Autumn Kitchen Witch Handbook for recipes, rituals, and autumn correspondences. You can find full details HERE.

And you canSUBSCRIBEto The Wholesome Witch Mailing Listto receive a 20% OFF discount code for myAutumn Kitchen Witch Handbook,as well as my full Wholesome Kitchen Clean-up Guide as a thank you!

Until next time friends!

Yours in health and magick,

Krystle xo

Simple Autumn Simmer Pot Recipes for the Kitchen Witch (2024)

FAQs

Can you use a crockpot as a simmer pot? ›

Simmer pots, or stovetop potpourri, can be made in the crockpot too!

How long do simmer pots last on stove? ›

If there are no fresh fruit slices in your recipe, simply turn off the stove and cover the pot with a lid in between uses. Reheat when you need another dose of stovetop potpourri. According to the Happier Homemaker, with this method, your simmer pot can last four days.

Can I put essential oils in a simmer pot? ›

A teaspoon of vanilla extract also makes a simmer pot smell divine; or, add a few drops of your favorite therapeutic essential oils to create a custom scent. To start your simmer pot, fill a small pot halfway with water and stir in your spices, herbs, peels, or fruits.

What does lemon in a simmer pot mean? ›

Lemon: For cleansing, removing blockages and spiritual purification. Rosemary: For purification and removing negativity. Sea Salt: For cleansing and grounding. I add sea salt to all my magickal simmer pots. Vanilla: I added some of my homemade vanilla extract, because vanilla bean is used in restoring lost energy.

Should you simmer pot open or closed? ›

Simmering and Boiling

Keep the lid on if you want to bring something to a simmer or a boil for two reasons. "One, heat escapes through an open lid, so it would take longer for water to come to a boil," says Ronna Welsh of Purple Kale Kitchenworks.

How long does a crock pot take to simmer? ›

One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

What can I cook to make my house smell good? ›

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, then add ingredients like apples, oranges, cinnamon sticks, cloves, ginger, cranberries, nutmeg, vanilla, and more, and keep the water at a simmer to fill your home with a beautiful autumnal aroma.

How do you simmer pots to get rid of odors? ›

Simply add your herbs and ingredients to a pot of water, set it to simmer on the stove (or turn your crockpot on low), and let these delightful scents fill your home. Simmer pots work in a similar way to Fresh Wave.

Can I use cinnamon powder in a simmer pot? ›

And to give it a nice, rich aroma, you'll need: 2 cinnamon sticks (or 1 tsp ground cinnamon), 2 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Here's how it's done: Slice your orange and apple (keep the peel on both). Add all your ingredients to a small pot and fill with water until it's about ¾ full.

What items are best for simmer pot? ›

CLASSIC SIMMER POT INGREDIENTS
  • Citrus fruits like orange, lemon, lime.
  • Apples.
  • Cranberries.
  • Cinnamon sticks.
  • Whole cloves.
  • Nutmeg.
  • Rosemary.
  • Pine or other conifers.
Nov 30, 2022

Can you put flowers in a simmer pot? ›

I made my simmer pot with roses and chamomile, but feel free to try it with any fragrant spring flowers of your choice! I think hyacinths and daffodils would work wonderfully here, too.

What does the orange in the simmer pot mean? ›

Herbs & Spices for the Simmer Pot

Bay: protection and the consecration of wishes (You can write wishes or intentions on them before adding them to teh pot) Oranges: Lemon: cleansing & purification. Cinnamon: comfort, success, strength & prosperity. Cloves: drive away negativity and attract positivity.

Does lemon and cinnamon smell good together? ›

Cinnamon is definitely a classic holiday scent and it pairs so well with the lemon slices and rosemary sprigs to give this whole simmering pot a wonderful smell!

How do I make my house smell like rosemary? ›

All you need are a few ingredients. water, lemon slices, vanilla extract, and some fresh Rosemary. Leave it to simmer on your stove and I'm telling you, your whole house will smell amazing. I always do this right before guests come.

Is low on crockpot same as simmer on stove? ›

It depends on what kind of settings your crock pot has. A low simmer on the stove is probably equivalent to something fairly low on your slow cooker, though. If all you have is warm, low, and high, you want low - in some cases it might be too hot, though.

What can I use as a simmer pot? ›

You can also use a Crock-Pot or other slow cooker to create a simmer pot: Fill the pot most of the way with water, add your ingredients, put on the lid, then turn the slow cooker to high. When there's steam rolling off the lid, take the lid off and set the slow cooker to a low or simmer setting.

Is low on a crock pot the same as simmer? ›

The difference is the time it takes to reach that temperature. Low: 7-8 hours to reach the simmer point. High: 3-4 hours to reach the simmer point.

Is slow cooking the same as simmering? ›

Simmering is a gentler, low-heat form of boiling liquids characterized by wisps of steam. Simmering is a slightly gentler version of boiling liquids that allows ingredients to reduce and thicken. This makes simmering a popular method for slow cooking, braising, and making reductions.

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