Spice Up Fall Now With an Easy Pumpkin Simmer Pot!

Do you enjoy fall scents? You know the smell of pie baking? The smell of cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and warm apple cider? I sure do and today I have a treat for you to spice up fall now with an easy pumpkin simmer pot! This isn’t any pumpkin spice simmer pot. Nope the simmer pot recipes I’m sharing are made in a slow cooker. And the best part? It’s a great way to have the whole home smell of warm apple cider, vanilla, and rich spices on a low simmer all day. This acts as a natural air freshener.  

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Spice Up Fall Now With an Easy Pumpkin Simmer Pot

You can enjoy a good book next to a fire with a cup of pumpkin spice coffee. Put a puzzle together and watch a movie with the whole family. The best part? You don’t have to do anything about this fall simmer pot recipe! Doesn’t this sound like the perfect addition to creating cozy vibes on a chilly weekend? So ditch that room spray and use this large fall stovetop potpourri recipe on a low simmer to fill your home with an amazing scent!

Fall Simmer Pot and Rich Spices for Cozy Vibes

Equipment:

• Slow Cooker, small crock pots, or large pot 
• Glass measuring cup
• Tbsp, measuring spoon
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife

Ingredients:

• Apple Cider, apple juice, or water (I highly recommend the cider TRUST ME!)
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Canned Pumpkin
• Whole Cloves (whole allspice is an option)
• Cinnamon sticks
• Vanilla extract
• Star Anise (optional – highly recommended)
• Ground nutmeg (optional – highly recommend an extra tsp.)
• Apple, dried apple slices, or apple peels

Best Pumpkin Spice Simmer Pot Perfect for Thanksgiving

Let’s get started making the best pumpkin spice simmer pot recipe and enjoy the scents of the season the natural way. I’m telling you this fall simmer pot recipe will be on a gentle boil in a crockpot all day. This is one of the best ways to have the whole house smell of fall scents with apple slices, whole cloves, vanilla extract, and ground nutmeg. This homemade potpourri was on a low simmer and burning in our home for two days. (No, it wasn’t on overnight) I’m telling you, trust me and make this because it screams fall scents at its best! This would be the perfect addition for Thanksgiving. The whole house smell of holiday scents will blend with the food and get everyone more excited for Thanksgiving dinner!

Cindy’s Simmer Pot Tip: A slow cooker and small crock pots are the best ways to make this fall stovetop potpourri recipe. I let this simmer on low heat all day. I unplugged it before bedtime. Removed the apple. Added the sealed lid. In the morning, I used a new apple, brought the crockpot to a gentle boil, and simmered on low heat the entire day. It smelled amazing! I don’t recommend doing this any longer than the next day. The apples will begin to get too soft. In this blog post, I will share this pumpkin spice simmer pot recipe with directions for a regular-size crock pot.

Spice Up the Holidays With an Easy Homemade Potpourri

• 2-6 or 16 cups (see my simmer pot tip below)​ cups apple cider -substitute apple juice, or water (if you are using small crock pots 2 cups cider) (normal size crockpot 16 cups)
• ½ or 1 15oz. cup of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 3-6 cinnamon (6 for a normal size crock pot
• 1 tbsp or 2 tbsp. whole cloves (Ground cloves 1 ½ tsp.)
• 1 tbsp. or 2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tbsp. or 2 tbsp. vanilla extract
• ½ an apple, apple peels, or dried apple slices or 1 apple cut in half
• 1 tsp. or 2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 star anise or 2 anise stars

Cindy’s Simmer Pot Tip: I used my regular-size crockpot. Because it’s large I added 16 cups of cider. You can do this or add 8 cups of cider and 8 cups of water. Our grocery store and farmers market sell cider in gallon size. If you can add this much cider to your fall simmer pot recipe you can simmer this for 2 days on low heat. Trust me, you will have no regrets! It truly takes the aroma to the next level!

​Easy Crockpot Instructions for Low Heat Simmering

Add the canned pumpkin, apple, cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole cloves, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, ground nutmeg, and apple cider to a large pot of water. For pictures, I share ingredients in a saucepan. I felt it was easier to see, however, in the finished pictures you will see my regular-size crockpot. Begin your small crock pots on high, and let the lid fill with heavy steam. This is how you know it comes to a gentle boil. Turn it down to a low heat and enjoy!

• Cindy’s Simmer Pot Tip: Check the water level in a fall stovetop potpourri recipe every 30 minutes especially if you are using the stovetop. I check my crockpot once in a while. Trust me, I have done a simmer pot this way many times. It will not need to be filled, however, check on it to be safe. Add fresh water as needed to the pot to prevent the ingredients from burning.
• ​

No Food Waste: Best Ways to Save Peels for a Simmer Pot with Ingredients You Have

The best part about making simmer pot recipes is there’s no food waste. You can save orange peel, and lemon peel in the freezer. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container. Take them out to defrost overnight and add them to a pot of water with bay leaves, cinnamon, and cloves for a bright citrusy scent. Simmer pot recipes are also great because everything can be found at the grocery store. You also probably have most spices in your spice cabinet.

How to Customize Your Simmer Pot Recipe

This pumpkin spice simmer pot has become a favorite, in my home filling the air with fall scents the natural way. But I have to admit when I burn my traditional Christmas simmer pot, it smells amazing with orange peel, anise stars, cinnamon, and woodsy notes of fresh pine. This homemade potpourri is the perfect addition to our home during the holiday season! So, why not mix things up? Try some of these combinations, of spices, fruits, and herbs to create that perfect whole house smell. It’s a great way to have your house smell with natural air freshener and ditch the toxic overpowering room spray. Fresh fruits, dried fruits, herbs, and rich spices are the best way to have our whole home smell of holiday scents, especially this time of year.

Discover How to Customize Your Simmer Pot

Natural Air Freshener Simmer Pot Recipe

• 2 apple slices with apple peels 
• 2 orange slices with orange peel
• 3-4 cinnamon sticks (if you are using ground cinnamon 1 tsp.)
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 Cardamom pods (optional) Ground cardamom use 1/8 tsp)
• 1 bunch of fresh rosemary sprigs (for Christmas add anise stars, fresh pine needles, or small pine branches)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cindy’s Simmer Pot Tip: Add 1 cup of fresh cranberries. The best part? It’s a great way to make the whole house smell festive with holiday scents! Cranberries are the perfect addition to a simmering pot. They add a pop of color. They also have a mild tart aroma when heated. Their subtle scent is why they blend well with rich spices.

Spicy Simmer Pot Recipe

• 4 orange slices with peel
• 1 small granny smith apple sliced with peel 
• 1 lemon slice with lemon peel
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3 Star Anise
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 4-6 cups of water

Bright Citrusy Simmer Pot

• 1/4 grapefruit sliced with peel
• 1 apple sliced
• 1/2 lemon slices with peel 
• 1 tbsp. ground ginger
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 4-6 cups water

Cindy‘s Simmer Pot Tip: Add red grapefruit for pop of color. This is also a great way to add a bright citrusy scent after the holidays are over and you need a pick me up during the long winter months!

Give the Gift of Scents with Simmer Pots to Cozy Up Any Home

Simmer pots make great gift items for neighbors and teachers. Give them a gift that makes their whole home smell with scents the natural way. When gifting, add a tag with the best ways to use the simmer pot ingredients. Let friends and neighbors know how to bring their simmer pot to a gentle boil, then enjoy this fall stovetop potpourri recipe at a low simmer. And it’s the perfect addition to make their whole house smell like fall or holidays.

​Create Simmer Pot Gifts with Dried Fruits and Spices

When using simmer pots as gift items, be sure to add dry ingredients to a cellophane bag or mason jar. Include dry orange peel, apple slices, or dry orange slices, along with spices like bay leaves, cloves, whole allspice, anise stars, or cardamom pods.

What is a simmer pot?

A simmer pot, also known as a homemade potpourri, is a large pot on a stovetop or slow cooker filled 3/4 of the way with water, herbs, fruits, and rich spices. This is a natural way to have the whole home smell like a natural air freshener. Also, no more need to spend money on room spray that can have an overwhelming scent. Simmer pot recipes are the best ways to have your home filled with holiday scents. I enjoy using them in a large slow cooker because the rich spices and fruits can be set to a low simmer for the day and act as a natural air freshener. 

Cindy’s Simmer Pot Tip: I recommend adding cider to your fall stovetop potpourri recipe. Trust me, you will have no regrets! It truly takes the aroma to the next level!

Can you use a crockpot as a simmering pot?

Simmer pots can be made in the crockpot too! I use my large crock pot as my simmer pot. Small crock pots are a great way to have the whole home smell of holiday scents. The recipe I’m sharing today is the best way to spice up fall now with an easy pumpkin simmer pot the natural way and eliminate the overpowering smell of room spray.

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How long do you leave a simmer pot on?

The best part about simmer pot recipes is that they should last 24 hours. It can last a few days if you only use orange peel, apple peels, and spices! If you are using the stovetop and a large pot, check the water level every 30 minutes. If the water level has gone down add additional fresh water. This way your homemade potpourri
 will have the whole house filled with fall scents and pumpkin pie. Again, this is why I encourage you to use a regular crockpot!

Cozy Vibes with This Easy Pumpkin Simmer Pot

As we wrap up, I hope you’re feeling inspired to spice up fall now with an easy pumpkin spice simmer pot! There’s nothing quite like the aroma of warm cider, spices, and cozy vibes filling your home. Whether you’re curling up with a good book, enjoying a movie night with the family, or just savoring a cup of pumpkin spice coffee, this is perfect. So go ahead, ditch the artificial air fresheners, and let the natural scents of fall create a warm atmosphere. I enjoy encouraging others to take time to enjoy the best time of year. Trust me, your home will smell amazing, and you’ll love the cozy vibes all weekend long. Please remember my motto, take one project at a time and enjoy the moment! 

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