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The autumn season is filled with so many amazing scents! Don’t you wish you could capture those smells in a jar and bring them inside your house?

While a variety of commercial candles and air fresheners claim to create a fall scent inside your home, most don’t truly capture the delicious smells that fall can bring. What if I told you that you can create a fall-inspired scent inside your home without the need for candles or chemical air fresheners?

You can!

Keep reading to find out how to make your home smell like fall using only natural ingredients.

A natural simmer pot is an easy and natural way to make your home smell amazing during the fall. All you need to do to create your own simmer pot is toss some fall ingredients in a pot, add water, and simmer!

Sound too good to be true? It’s not.

I’m going to break down the steps to create your own fall simmer pot so you can make your own home smell like fall quickly and easily.

What is a Simmer Pot?

Also called simmer potpourri, a simmer pot is a simple and natural way to freshen your house with your stovetop.

Using a combination of spices, herbs, fruits, and fruit peels, you can quickly create a simmer pot on your own. And the best part about using this home freshening method is that you don’t need any chemical sprays or special ingredients to make your home smell amazing.

All you need to make your own simmer pot is a handful of fresh or dried fruit or fruit peels, fresh or dried herbs, whole spices, water, and a sauce pan.

The types of fruit, spices, and herbs you choose will depend on the season and scent profile you’re looking for.

Natural Fall Simmer Pot Recipe

Today, we’re going to put together a super simple simmer pot that is filled with fall flavors. To make your own fall simmer pot, you’ll need:

an orange
an apple
rosemary
cinnamon sticks
Water

You read that right – only six supplies! And once you get the ingredients mixed up and simmering on your stove, you won’t believe how amazing your entire house will smell!

Start by slicing your orange and apple into large chunks.

Since you won’t be eating these ingredients, there is no need to peel your fruit or remove the seeds or core from the apple. Just slice the fruit into smaller pieces so they easily fit inside the sauce pan.

Place your fruit inside the pan, then add a sprig of fresh rosemary and a few cinnamon sticks. If you don’t have fresh rosemary, dried rosemary will work. And ground cinnamon is another great replacement for cinnamon sticks. Just add a tablespoon of each ingredient to the pot to get a similar scent when simmering.

After adding the ingredients to the pan, pour enough water into the pot to just cover the fruits and herbs. Then, place your pan on the stovetop and heat over medium-high heat until the water begins to boil. After the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and allow the pot to simmer uncovered.

You can keep your fall simmer pot simmering all day if you want a fresh fall scent throughout your home for hours. Just be sure to check the pan every hour and add more water as needed. If you don’t continually add water, your ingredients will start to burn – and that’s not a scent you want wafting through your home!

Can I Make the Simmer Pot in My Slow Cooker?

Using a slow cooker is another great way to create a lasting fall scent in your home.

To make this fall simmer pot in the slow cooker, you’ll follow similar instructions.

Prep the simmer pot in the same way – chop your fruit and add all the ingredients to the bowl of the crock pot.

If you’re using a small two-quart slow cooker, use the same amount of ingredients as you would for a stovetop simmer pot. But if you’re using a larger seven- or eight-quart slow cooker, double the recipe to ensure you get plenty of delicious smells from your crock pot potpourri.

Add enough water to cover the ingredients inside the crock pot, then turn the pot on high. Allow the water to start simmering inside the pot, then you can turn the crock pot to low for the day.

Do not put the lid on your slow cooker as you cook this recipe. Leaving the lid off will ensure all those yummy smells are able to travel throughout your house.
Just as I suggested for the stovetop simmer pot, continually check the slower cooker and add water as needed. The ingredients will start to burn if it doesn’t have enough water!

Time to Make: 5 minutes

Supplies:
1 orange, cut into chunks
1 apple, cut into chunks
one sprig rosemary
3 cinnamon sticks
Water

Stovetop Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and fill with water to cover the ingredients.
2. Place the pan on the stovetop and cook over low heat, allowing the water to simmer.
3. Add more water to the pan as needed.
4. Discard ingredients after use.

Crock Pot Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of the slow cooker and fill with water to cover the ingredients.
2. Turn the slow cooker on high and allow to cook with the lid off.
3. Add more water to the slow cooker as needed.
4. Discard ingredients after use.