How to Make a Winter Simmer Pot With Cloves and Star Anise
A simmer pot is a saucepan of water with fruit and whole spices, kept on the lowest heat so the steam carries the scent through your home. For a winter one, start with a teaspoon of cloves and a few star anise, add an orange or some apple peel, and let it sit on the hob for an afternoon while you’re home to keep an eye on it.
Mine always starts with those two spices. Cloves and star anise smell like winter to me, warm and a little sweet, and together they reach every corner of the kitchen within the first half hour. I make it at the weekend, when I’m off work and the day doesn’t need to go anywhere in particular.
What is a simmer pot?
A simmer pot, sometimes called stovetop potpourri, is fruit, spices and herbs simmered in water so the warm steam scents the room. Everything in it comes from the kitchen cupboard or the fruit bowl, and when you have finished, the scraps go in the compost.
It’s an easy way to make a home feel lived in on a cold day, especially if you enjoy small seasonal rituals. You don’t need special equipment or an exact recipe. A simmer pot forgives almost anything.
What you need for a winter simmer pot
For one medium saucepan:
- about 1 litre of water
- 1 teaspoon of whole cloves
- 3 or 4 star anise
- 1 orange, sliced, or the peel from two or three clementines
Optional extras:
- 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks
- apple slices or apple peel
- a sprig of rosemary or a couple of bay leaves
Use whole spices if you can. Ground ones turn the water cloudy and the scent fades much faster. If you’re short of fruit, peel works just as well, which makes this a lovely use for all the clementines that appear in December.
How to make a simmer pot on the hob
- Put the fruit and spices into the saucepan and pour in the water, leaving a few centimetres of space at the top.
- Bring it up to a simmer on a medium heat.
- Turn the heat right down to the lowest setting, so the water only just moves.
- Top it up with hot water from the kettle every 30 minutes or so. The pan should never boil dry.
- When you’re done, switch off the hob and let the pot cool before you move it.
The scent builds slowly. Give it half an hour before you decide whether you want another star anise.
When I make mine
During the week I work full time, and my evenings go by quickly. A simmer pot needs someone at home, so for me it belongs to the weekend. I put it on when I have a free day ahead and nowhere I need to be.
It also pairs nicely with a baking afternoon. If the oven is on anyway, a pan of cloves and orange on the back of the hob makes the whole kitchen smell like Christmas. My slow honey gingerbread recipe is one I’d happily make alongside it.
Is a simmer pot safe with pets?
The first time I made one, my cat decided the kitchen window was the best seat in the house, right beside the hob and the warm steam. She had clearly made her plans for the afternoon. It reminded me that a pan of hot water and a curious cat need a little planning.
A few things help:
- Use the back ring and turn the pan handle inwards.
- Stay at home while it’s on, and switch it off before you go out or go to bed.
- Keep pets off the worktop near the hob, and don’t leave the cooled water where they could drink it.
- Leave out essential oils. Many of them are harmful to cats and dogs, and whole spices and fruit give plenty of scent on their own. If you’re unsure about any ingredient, ask your vet.
Winter simmer pot ideas to try
Once you have the basic method, you can change the mix as the season moves on.
- Christmas: orange slices, cloves, star anise and a cinnamon stick.
- Apple and spice: apple peel and cores with cloves and a cinnamon stick, good after a baking day.
- Leftover peel: keep orange and clementine peel in a jar in the fridge during the week, then simmer it with cloves at the weekend.
- January: lemon slices, a sprig of rosemary, two bay leaves and a single star anise. After weeks of Christmas spice, it smells fresher and lighter.
Can you reuse a simmer pot?
Yes, for a day or two. Let the pot cool, cover it and keep it in the fridge. Next time, add fresh water and bring it back to a simmer. Once the fruit turns soft and the scent goes flat, put everything in the compost and start again.
After hours on the hob, the water and fruit are only for scent, so don’t eat or drink them.
A few questions
Can I make a simmer pot in a slow cooker?
Yes. Use the low setting with the lid off or slightly open, top up the water now and then, and follow the same pet rules as on the hob.
How long can a simmer pot stay on?
A few hours is fine while you’re home and keep topping up the water. Switch it off when the water runs low or when you leave the house.
Do I need fresh fruit?
No. Peel, apple cores and dried orange slices all work, and the spices carry most of the scent.
If you’re planning a calmer December, my slow Christmas guide brings together everything on Zeny Lane for the season, from baking to quiet evenings. And if small rituals like this one appeal to you, Slow Living for Beginners has 12 more ideas that fit into ordinary weeks.
For a little help planning the month, my free Slow Christmas Planner is waiting in the Zeny Lane Freebie Library. Join the newsletter to get it, along with my other printable gifts.
With warmth, Zeny
