How to Make a Simmer Pot (Plus a Yule Recipe)

In short: A simmer pot is a saucepan of water with fruit, herbs, and spices kept on low heat so the steam scents your home. Fill a pot two-thirds with water, add your ingredients, bring it to a boil, then turn it down to the lowest simmer and top up the water every 30 minutes. In kitchen witchcraft, choosing ingredients for their meaning turns it into a spell your whole house breathes in.

It is 4 PM in November. It is already dark. Somebody needs dinner, the laundry is judging you from the corner, and your house smells like a damp dog. You put an orange, a cinnamon stick, and some cloves in a pot. Twenty minutes later your home smells like a cottage in a fairy tale and you feel like a witch again. That is a simmer pot.

What is a simmer pot?

A simmer pot (also called stovetop potpourri) is the oldest air freshener there is: aromatics in water, gently heated. People have scented homes with steeping herbs and spices for centuries. Kitchen witches use them on purpose, choosing ingredients for their traditional correspondences, stirring with intention, and letting the scent carry the spell through every room.

How to make a simmer pot: step by step

1. Choose your intention. Warmth, protection, abundance, calm, or just "please let this house stop smelling like a hockey bag." All valid.
2. Fill a pot about two-thirds with water. A small saucepan works. So does a slow cooker with the lid off.
3. Add your ingredients. Slice citrus, break cinnamon sticks, add whole spices and herbs. Whole spices last longer than ground.
4. Bring to a boil, then turn it down to the lowest simmer.
5. Stir clockwise (the traditional direction for drawing in) while you say your intention out loud. Stir counterclockwise if you are banishing.
6. Top up with water every 30 minutes or so. Never let it run dry.
7. Turn it off when you leave the room. You can refrigerate it and reuse it for 2 to 3 days.

Simmer pot safety

• Never leave a simmer pot unattended or running while you sleep or leave the house.
• Keep it away from pets and kids. Some essential oils and plants are toxic to cats and dogs, so stick to kitchen ingredients.
• A simmer pot is for scent. Do not drink it.

Simmer pot ingredients and their magical meanings

• Orange and other citrus: joy, abundance, energy, the sun.
• Cinnamon: prosperity, speed, warmth, protection.
• Cloves: protection and driving off gossip.
• Star anise: psychic awareness and luck.
• Bay leaves: wishes, success, and clarity.
• Rosemary: protection, memory, and clearing.
• Apple: love, the harvest, and Samhain.
• Cranberries: protection and the heart.
• Pine or fir sprigs: renewal, endurance, and Yule.
• Vanilla: love, comfort, and calm.
• Ginger: power and momentum.
• Lavender: peace and sleep.

Correspondences vary between traditions. If an ingredient means something different to you, your meaning wins.

4 simmer pot recipes for the dark half of the year

Yule hearth simmer pot

1 orange (sliced), a handful of fresh cranberries, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 tablespoon whole cloves, 2 star anise, a small sprig of pine or fir, 1 bay leaf. For warmth, luck, and calling the sun back. Light a candle beside it on the night of the winter solstice. More on the magic of Yule here.

Samhain apple simmer pot

1 apple (sliced crosswise so the five-pointed star shows), 2 cinnamon sticks, a few cloves, a pinch of nutmeg, 1 bay leaf. For honoring ancestors and closing the year. Pairs well with a Samhain ritual.

Protection simmer pot

3 sprigs rosemary, 1 tablespoon cloves, 3 bay leaves, a few slices of lemon, a pinch of black peppercorns. Simmer after an argument, a bad week, or a guest who left a weird vibe.

Money and abundance simmer pot

1 orange (sliced), 2 cinnamon sticks, a small piece of fresh ginger, 3 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon allspice berries. Simmer on a Thursday (traditionally tied to Jupiter, the planet of expansion) before you do your invoices.

How to turn a simmer pot into a spell

1. Clean first. Even five minutes of tidying. Clearing comes before calling in.
2. Charge each ingredient. As you drop each one in, say what it is for: "Orange for joy. Cinnamon for money that shows up fast."
3. Stir with intention and say your spell in one line, like "This house is warm, safe, and full."
4. Walk the steam. Carry a cup of the hot water room to room (carefully), or open interior doors so the scent travels.
5. Close it. When you are done, pour the cooled liquid outside at your front step or in the garden as a final offering. Compost the solids.

Simmer pot FAQ

How long does a simmer pot last?

A few hours on the stove, as long as you keep topping up the water. Refrigerated, you can reuse the same pot for 2 to 3 days.

Can I use a slow cooker?

Yes. Set it on low with the lid off or cracked. Keep an eye on the water level.

Can I use dried ingredients?

Yes. Dried citrus, spices, and herbs work well and are great for gifting in a jar with a tag.

Is a simmer pot really magic?

Scent changes how a home feels, and intention changes how you show up in it. Call it what you want. It works.

Bring the magic home

The December Saged Ritual Box is all about Yule and winter hearth magic. Get it with the 3-month Ritual Box bundle, or pick up the House Magic Guide for more spells for your home.