5 awesomely autumnal simmer pot recipes to get you in the mood for fall

Emily Hsieh, Shine staff

Last weekend I stopped in to visit a friend who was brewing hot apple cider, which was spreading the coziest, loveliest scent all over her apartment. The perfect blend of spicy and sweet, it made her house feel so warm and festive, and instantly made me excited about the season ahead and holing up indoors with good friends and family.

And much as I'm a big fan of scented candles, I've found the cinnamon-y, fall-ish ones tend to be cloying or overly fragranced-and don't compare at all to the all-natural, heady smell of actual fruits and seasonings bubbling away on your stove (which also have the added benefit of being a lot less expensive than candles, plus the steam acts as a humidifier too!). So here, via re-nest.com, five good old-fashioned simmer pot recipes to celebrate fall:

One thing to note: It's a good idea to hold onto your apple, pear and citrus peels these next few weeks (just freeze them in a plastic container until you're ready to simmer)-they'll really come in handy in making the following.

Fill a small saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Add the ingredients from the recipe of your choice, let them boil for a couple minutes, and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Add water as needed (about every 30 minutes or so).


Recipe #1:

Cinnamon sticks

Apple peels

Orange rinds

Whole cloves


Recipe #2:

Peel from one lemon

Peel from one orange

2 bay leaves

3 cinnamon sticks

2 tablespoons whole cloves


Recipe #3

A few drops vanilla

Orange peels


Recipe #4

1 cup dried lavender

1 teaspoon anise

1 tablespoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick


Recipe #5

5 bay leaves

1 tablespoon whole cloves

2 sticks cinnamon