Easy Fall Simmer Pot Recipe with Apples and Cinnamon

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dried apple chunks
• 2 dried orange slices
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1-2 whole star anise
• 1 small sprig dried rosemary
• 1–2 drops orange essential oil, optional
• 4 cups water, plus more as needed

Instructions

1. Add the dried apples, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and rosemary to a medium pot.
2. If using orange essential oil, add 1–2 drops directly to the dried orange slices.
3. Pour approximately 4 cups of water over the ingredients, or enough to keep everything well covered.
4. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over low heat. As the ingredients warm, the scent will begin to fill your home.
5. Continue simmering for a few hours, checking the water level regularly and adding additional water as needed.

What Does This Fall Simmer Pot Smell Like?

This one smells like exactly what I want my house to smell like in October. It is exactly how to make your house smell like fall.

The dried apple and orange give it a fruity base, while cinnamon, cloves, and star anise add those classic warm fall spices. The little sprig of rosemary keeps the blend from becoming overly sweet and adds a fresh, herbal note.

It reminds me of walking through an apple orchard on a cool fall day and then coming home to bake something warm.

Hence the name: Spiced Orchard.

Can You Use Fresh Apples and Oranges?

Absolutely!

I use dried fruit in the version I package for my farmstand because it needs to be shelf stable, but you don’t have to dry anything specifically to make a simmer pot at home.

Fresh apple slices, apple peels, orange slices, and orange peels can all go into your pot (and probably smell even better!).

In fact, simmer pots are one of my favorite ways to get another use out of kitchen scraps before they head to the compost pile.

If you’re making an apple recipe, save the peels. If your kids eat an orange, save the peel. Add some spices and herbs from the pantry, cover everything with water, and you’ve essentially made yourself a free natural home fragrance.

Fall Simmer Pot Substitutions

One of the best things about DIY simmer pots is that you really don’t need to follow a recipe perfectly.

Don’t have star anise? Leave it out.

No rosemary? Try thyme or skip the herbs entirely.

You can also experiment with:

• Fresh or dried cranberries
• Pear slices or peels
• Cardamom pods
• Fresh ginger
• Nutmeg
• Vanilla extract or a vanilla bean
• Lemon peel
• Bay leaves
• Allspice berries

Think of this recipe as a starting point rather than something that needs to be measured perfectly.

Do You Need the Orange Essential Oil?

No. The orange essential oil is completely optional.

I add a tiny amount to the dried orange slices when I’m making my packaged Spiced Orchard simmer pots because it boosts the citrus scent of the dried fruit.

When I’m making a DIY autumn simmer pot from fresh ingredients at home, though, I can easily skip it. Fresh orange peels already contain wonderfully fragrant natural oils of their own.

If you prefer not to use essential oils, simply leave it out.

How Long Can You Simmer a Fall Simmer Pot?

I usually let mine gently simmer for a few hours.

There isn’t an exact cutoff. The important part is keeping an eye on your water level. As the water evaporates, simply add more.

Never allow your simmer pot to run dry and don’t leave a simmering pot unattended.

You can also use a slow cooker on low if you prefer. Leave the lid off so the fragrance can make its way through the house, and continue adding water if needed.

Can You Reuse a Simmer Pot?

Yes! Once I’m finished with mine for the day, I let it cool completely and put it in the refrigerator.

The next day, I add a little fresh water and simmer it again.

You’ll notice that the scent becomes less intense each time, but I can often get another use out of the same ingredients before composting or discarding them.

Make a DIY Fall Simmer Pot Gift

This recipe also makes such a simple homemade fall gift.

Combine the dried apples, oranges, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and rosemary in a clear bag or glass jar and add a little instruction tag:

Add contents to a pot with approximately 4 cups of water. Simmer on low, adding more water as needed. Never leave unattended.

It’s a sweet hostess gift, teacher gift, neighbor gift, or little addition to a fall gift basket. To sound fancier, you can also name your simmer pot a “fall stovetop potpourri” depending on your audience!

And unlike a lot of homemade gifts, the recipient doesn’t have to figure out what to do with it. They can dump it into a pot, add water, and enjoy.

A Natural Way to Make Your Home Smell Like Fall

I used to be the person who wanted all of the seasonal candles and air fresheners as soon as fall arrived.

These days, I love finding simpler ways to make our home feel seasonal.

A simmer pot doesn’t require a special gadget or a huge collection of ingredients. I can use herbs I’ve grown, fruit scraps from the kitchen, and a handful of spices from the pantry to make the entire house smell incredible.

And that’s really what I love about this kind of homesteading.

It isn’t about doing everything from scratch or never buying another candle again. It’s realizing how many simple things we’re capable of making with what we already have.

This Spiced Orchard fall simmer pot has become one of my favorite combinations—and now it’s one I get to share with my local community through Falls City Farmstead, too.

If you love natural seasonal scents, be sure to try my Simple Spring Floral and Citrus Simmer Pot and Simple Winter Evergreen Simmer Pot recipes, too.