Holiday Simmer Pot Recipe & Hostess Gift Idea

A few weeks ago, I drove to Bliss Barracks to spend the day with my mom. We were plotting out our upcoming holiday ideas and giving her office a refresh. Every year whenever we meet for holiday planning she goes all out creating a special lunch menu, having our favorite hard candy on hand, making gingerbread lattes, setting the mood with holiday music, baking goodies and of course, she makes sure the entire house smells like Christmas.

In fact, it smelled so much like the holidays, my dad greeted me at the door and said, “You better get ready. It smells like Christmas in here and it’s not even Halloween yet.” I giggled as I walked through the door but he was right. It was like the sweet smells of the holidays had enveloped the entire house.

When I met her in the kitchen she was adding a little bit of this and that to a small pot on the stove. It smelled amazing. Simmer pots are a great alternative to candles if you have allergies or prefer a more natural approach to creating a signature scent for your home. I asked my mom to share her holiday simmer pot with us and while she didn’t really have a recipe per se (isn’t that like all Southern moms…a pinch of this, a dash of that or just a little shake) she shared her list of ingredients and I tried to recreate the rest. You can make a simmer pot like this for your own home or you can make a simmer pot in a jar to give away. These are super easy to make (think last minute easy) and can be enjoyed by multiple people on your holiday list including your favorite hostess. Here’s a look at what you’ll need to create a holiday simmer pot of your own…

Recipe:

1 orange

1 lime

3 sticks of cinnamon

½-1 teaspoon allspice (we used 1 teaspoon)

½-1 teaspoon nutmeg (we used 1 teaspoon)

½ teaspoon whole cloves

Simmer Pot in a Mason Jar Steps:

Cut lime and orange into thin slices. Gather the rest of your ingredients.

Use a clean and dry, wide mouth Ball jar

and begin to layer pieces of lime, orange, cloves and cinnamon sticks in the jar.

Then add allspice and nutmeg to the rest of the ingredients.

Finally, add water to the jar stopping just short of the top of the mason jar rim. Be careful not to overfill. Screw lid back onto the mason jar. Shake well to make sure all of the ingredients have fully incorporated.

If you’re giving this simmer pot in a jar as a gift, add a ribbon and a tag to make it extra special.

You can make this recipe in advance and store it in the refrigerator for approximately one week allowing the ingredients to fully infuse.

Whether you’re giving this simmer pot in a jar as a gift or using it immediately, you’ll need to take caution and care while simmer pot is on the stove as the pot and contents will be hot. Never leave a simmer pot unattended. Simply, empty the contents of your mason jar into the pot, bring to a boil and once the contents are boiling turn the heat down to low.

Allow the contents to simmer for a few hours. Make sure to check on the simmer pot and add water as needed. Do not allow the water to dry out or the contents will burn.

See you guys back here tomorrow. I’ll share an easy way to personalize your hot drinks this season. It’s one of my favorite holiday project ideas you won’t want to miss. Until then, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo