Whipping up a Christmas holiday stovetop simmer pot is a great way to welcome the Christmas holidays into your home. It's surprisingly easy to make, and I can't wait to share my own Christmas holiday stovetop simmer pot recipe with you.  

 

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I believe that a stovetop simmer pot, or potpourri of sorts, is the best way to create a warm and inviting holiday scent in your home, second only to scented candles. You might think of potpourri as a dried mix of flowers and other natural materials that gives off a pleasant scent which usually hangs around for quite some time. But let me tell you, even better than that is its cousin -- the stovetop simmer pot version.

There's nothing like entering a home and feeling enveloped by a warm, cozy scent that instantly puts you in the holiday mood. That's the feeling I try to recreate when I whip up my holiday stovetop simmer pot recipe, and you can, too -- in no time flat and with only minimal ingredients.  

 

CHRISTMAS SIMMER POT INGREDIENTS

 

1. ORANGES 

2. LEMONS 

3. CRANBERRIES 

4. WHOLE CLOVES 

5. CINNAMON STICKS 

6. ROSEMARY  

Optional: ginger, cardamom, star anise, nutmeg, apple slices, vanilla bean, allspice

 

CHRISTMAS SIMMER POT HOW-TO 

2. Slice your citrus fruits (and/or apples if using)

3. Fill pot starting with a layer of cranberries

4. Add layers of sliced fruit

5. Add cloves

6. Toss sprigs of rosemary on top

7. Add tap water to the pot, filling it as high as possible without overflowing

8. Add cinnamon sticks, poking them down into the liquid

9.  Place the pot on the stove and set it to simmer  

Some bloggers tell you to place the stovetop simmer pot in the fridge overnight and reuse it again the next day. However, this has not been my experience, especially when using citrus fruits. 

The flesh from the citrus fruit disintegrates (for lack of a better word) pretty quickly, especially when sliced in traditional "slices". I made my second simmer pot with oranges and lemons cut into wedges and they seemed to hold up to the heat much better than the slices.   

Even so, I would not plan on using the stovetop simmer pot for more than two days, assuming you add some fresh ingredients to it on day two.