Quick answer: put in a fruit, a whole spice and an herb, such as orange slices, cinnamon sticks and rosemary. Use whole spices rather than ground. Scraps work fine too: peels, cores and herb stems. The tables below cover the common ingredients, how much to use, and which ones to keep away from pets.
Build it in three layers
A simmer pot works a lot like a perfume. Some ingredients smell strong right away and fade fast, and others start quietly and last for hours. Use one from each group and the pot keeps smelling good after the fruit has faded.
- Top: citrus, apple, cranberries and mint. These are what you smell first, and they’re the first to fade.
- Middle: herbs like rosemary, thyme, bay and lavender. They round out the top and hold up longer.
- Base: whole spices and vanilla. Cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise keep giving off scent long after the fruit has gone soft.
For a 2-quart pot, a good starting balance is one fruit, two or three pieces of whole spice, and a couple of sprigs of herb. The simmer pot guide has eight combinations built this way.
Top: fruit and fresh notes
Starting amounts are for a 2-quart saucepan, half to two-thirds full of water. They’re our own starting points, so adjust to taste.
| Ingredient | Smells like | Starting amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange | Sweet citrus | 1 orange, sliced, or the peel of 2 | The peel holds most of the scent. Toxic to pets (see below) |
| Lemon | Sharp, clean citrus | 1 lemon, sliced | Toxic to pets |
| Lime | Bright, slightly bitter citrus | 1 to 2 limes, sliced | Pairs well with mint |
| Grapefruit | Bittersweet citrus | Half a grapefruit, sliced | Strong, so use less |
| Apple | Soft, sweet, like baking | 1 apple, sliced, or the peels and cores of 3 or 4 | Better with spice than on its own. Seeds and stems are toxic to pets |
| Pear | Light and sweet | 1 pear, sliced | Gentler than apple |
| Cranberries | Tart and fruity | 1 cup, fresh or frozen | They split as they heat, which helps them release scent |
| Pomegranate | Faint, fruity | Seeds from half a pomegranate | Mostly for color |
| Fresh mint | Cool and green | A handful of sprigs | Fades fast; add more partway through |
Middle: herbs and greenery
| Ingredient | Smells like | Starting amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosemary | Piney and herbal | 2 to 3 sprigs | The most popular herb, and it holds up well. Listed as non-toxic to pets |
| Thyme | Earthy and herbal | 3 to 4 sprigs | Good with lemon. Listed as non-toxic to pets |
| Bay leaves | Warm, slightly herbal | 2 to 3 leaves | Toxic to pets |
| Lavender | Floral | 1 Tbsp dried buds | A little goes a long way. Toxic to pets |
| Sage | Earthy and savory | 3 to 4 leaves | Better in fall pots than sweet ones. Listed as non-toxic to pets |
| Fir or pine sprigs | Christmas tree | A few small sprigs | Only from trees you can identify |
| Cedar sprigs | Woody and dry | A few small sprigs | Same rule as fir |
| Juniper berries | Piney, like gin | 1 Tbsp | Crush them lightly first |
Base: spices and warm notes
| Ingredient | Smells like | Starting amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinnamon sticks | Warm and sweet | 2 to 3 sticks | Lasts the longest of anything here; can be reused |
| Whole cloves | Strong, warm spice | 1 Tbsp | A little goes a long way. Keep away from pets |
| Star anise | Licorice | 2 to 3 pods | Pairs well with orange |
| Cardamom pods | Spicy, a little floral | 6 to 8 pods, lightly cracked | The base of a chai pot |
| Allspice berries | Like cinnamon, clove and nutmeg together | 1 tsp | Good shortcut for a spiced pot |
| Whole nutmeg | Warm and nutty | Half a nutmeg, cracked | Keep away from pets |
| Fresh ginger | Spicy and bright | A thumb-sized piece, sliced | Sits between top and base |
| Black peppercorns | Sharp and spicy | 1 tsp | Adds an edge to sweet pots |
| Vanilla | Sweet and creamy | 1 tsp extract or half a bean, split | Rounds out almost anything |
Extras
| Ingredient | Smells like | Starting amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black tea bags | Malty | 2 bags | For a chai pot |
| Coffee beans | Roasted coffee | 2 Tbsp | Pairs with cinnamon and vanilla |
| Apple cider | Sweet apple | Half a cup in place of some water | Can scorch, so watch the water level |
| Almond extract | Marzipan | Half a tsp | Strong, so start small |
| Chamomile tea bags | Soft, apple-like floral | 2 bags | Toxic to pets |
Whole or ground, fresh or dried
Use whole spices wherever you can. Ground cinnamon or nutmeg releases its scent all at once and turns the water into a murky sludge that can scorch on the bottom of the pot. A cinnamon stick gives off scent slowly for hours, and you can fish it out, dry it, and use it again.
Fresh and dried fruit both work. Fresh fruit smells stronger. Dried orange slices, dried apple and dried cranberries smell softer, but they keep for months in a jar, which makes them the usual choice for simmer pot gift jars. Dried herbs work too: a teaspoon of dried rosemary or thyme stands in for a couple of fresh sprigs.
Using scraps
A simmer pot is a good use for things you’d otherwise throw away. Orange and lemon peels, apple peels and cores, the stems left after you strip an herb, and the last few cranberries in the bag all work. Keep a freezer bag going and add to it until you have enough for a pot. Frozen scraps go straight into the water.
Extracts and essential oils
A splash of vanilla or almond extract is fine and adds a sweet, bakery note.
Essential oils work in a simmer pot, but they evaporate fast, and the pot doesn’t need them when the fruit and spices already give off scent. They’re also the ingredient most likely to cause problems for pets. The ASPCA says concentrated essential oils can be dangerous to pets, and advises against diffusing them at all in homes with birds. A simmer pot with essential oil in it is a diffuser, so if you have pets, leave the oils out.
What not to put in
Yew. Yew looks like many other evergreens, and the ASPCA lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with sudden death from heart failure among the signs. Don’t cut greenery for a simmer pot unless you know what it is.
Greenery you can’t identify, for the same reason. Clippings from a florist or a decorative wreath may also have been treated with something, so use greenery from your own yard or sold as food, like rosemary.
Anything moldy. Throw out fruit or herbs that have started to grow mold rather than simmering them.
Ingredients and pets
We haven’t found guidance on simmer pot steam specifically. The clear risks are a pet drinking the liquid, eating the ingredients out of the pot or the trash, or knocking the pot over. The ASPCA lists these common ingredients:
| Ingredient | ASPCA |
|---|---|
| Apple | Toxic to dogs, cats and horses. The stems, leaves and seeds contain cyanide |
| Lemon | Toxic to dogs, cats and horses. The essential oils and psoralens are mostly in the peel |
| Orange | Toxic to dogs, cats and horses, for the same reasons |
| Bay laurel | Toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eugenol is one of the toxic compounds |
| Lavender | Toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Linalool is the toxic compound |
| Chamomile | Toxic to dogs, cats and horses |
| Yew | Toxic to dogs, cats and horses, and can be fatal |
| Nutmeg | Can cause problems in large amounts |
| Cinnamon | Small amounts usually cause only mild stomach upset |
Cloves are rich in eugenol, the same compound the ASPCA names in bay laurel, so treat them with the same care. We couldn’t find an ASPCA listing for star anise, so keep it out of reach like everything else.
For a pot that’s easier on pets, leave out the ingredients above and build it around herbs that are listed as non-toxic. Rosemary, thyme and sage are all on the ASPCA-based list in Massachusetts’ pet-safe plants brochure. Even then, keep the pot where pets can’t drink from it.
If a pet gets into a simmer pot, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
Putting it together
Three pots that use something from each layer:
- Fall: apple peels and cores, 3 sprigs of thyme, 3 cinnamon sticks, 1 tsp vanilla.
- Winter: 1 orange, 1 cup cranberries, 3 sprigs rosemary, 2 star anise.
- Spring: 1 lemon, 3 sprigs thyme, 1 tsp vanilla.
The simmer pot guide covers the method, how long a pot lasts and how to reuse it. If you’re choosing ingredients for what they mean as well as how they smell, the witchy simmer pots guide covers the traditions behind them.
Frequently asked questions
What do you put in a simmer pot?
Usually a fruit, a whole spice and an herb in a pot of water. Orange or apple slices,
cinnamon sticks or cloves, and rosemary or bay leaves are the most common. Vanilla extract,
cranberries, star anise and fresh ginger are popular extras.
Can you use ground cinnamon in a simmer pot?
You can, but whole cinnamon sticks work better. Ground spices release their scent all at
once and turn the water into a murky sludge, while sticks give off scent slowly for hours
and can be reused.
Can you use dried fruit in a simmer pot?
Yes. Dried orange slices, dried apple and dried cranberries all work, and they keep for
months in a jar, which makes them good for gift jars. They smell a little softer than fresh
fruit.
Can you put essential oils in a simmer pot?
You can, but they evaporate quickly and the pot doesn’t need them. They’re also the main pet
concern: the ASPCA warns that concentrated essential oils can be dangerous to pets and
advises against diffusing them in homes with birds.
What herbs are good for a simmer pot?
Rosemary is the most popular, followed by thyme, bay leaves, mint, lavender and sage. Woody
herbs like rosemary and thyme hold their scent longer than soft ones like mint.
Can you use orange peels in a simmer pot?
Yes. The peel is where most of an orange’s scent is, so peels on their own work almost as
well as whole slices. Save them in a bag in the freezer until you have enough for a pot.