Simmer Pot Recipes With Garden Herbs: 6 Cosy Blends for Winter
In short: A simmer pot is a pan of water with herbs, fruit and spices kept on the lowest heat, so the steam carries their scent through the room. For each blend below, use about 1.5 litres (6 cups) of water, 3–4 sprigs of a woody garden herb, one sliced fruit and one or two spices. Top up the water every 30 minutes, and never leave the pan while the hob is on.
By December the garden’s scent has gone quiet. The rosemary is still out there, though, and so are the bay, the thyme and the sage, with a scented geranium on the windowsill and a jar of last summer’s lavender in the cupboard. These simmer pot recipes bring all of them indoors.
Most simmer pot recipes online start with a shopping list. These start with what you grow. Below you will find six blends, which herbs to pick and dry now, a jar you can give as a present, and how to simmer safely.
Table of Contents
What a simmer pot is, and what it is not
A simmer pot, sometimes called stovetop potpourri, is simply scented steam. Nothing is burned and no oils are added. The scent is softer than a candle and fills the room where the pan is, drifting a little further if the doors are open.
It is not a remedy for anything. Many people simply find it cosy: the kitchen smells of the garden on a dark afternoon, and that is reason enough.
Simmer pot recipes: the basic formula
| Part | From | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Tap | About 1.5 litres (6 cups), two-thirds of a medium saucepan |
| Herb | Your garden, fresh or dried | 3–4 sprigs of 10–15 cm (4–6 in), or 2 tablespoons dried |
| Fruit | Kitchen | 1 citrus fruit or apple, sliced, or a handful of cranberries |
| Spice | Store cupboard | 1 cinnamon stick, 5 cloves or 2 star anise |
- Put everything in the pan and bring it just to the boil.
- Turn the heat down to the lowest setting, so the water barely moves.
- Set a 30-minute timer. Each time it rings, top the water back up.
- When you leave the kitchen, turn the hob off.
- Let the pan cool, cover it and keep it in the fridge. You can usually warm it again the next day; when the scent fades or the water turns cloudy, put it on the compost.
6 simmer pot recipes with garden herbs
Each recipe uses 1.5 litres (6 cups) of water. The herbs are the ones a balcony or small garden can still give you in winter, or that you can dry in autumn.
1. Winter garden
4 sprigs of rosemary, 2 bay leaves, 1 sliced orange, 1 cinnamon stick, 5 cloves.
The classic, and the one to start with. Resinous rosemary and bay under warm orange and spice. Scent families: Mediterranean, Spiced.
2. Lemon kitchen
A handful of dried lemon verbena leaves (or fresh lemon balm), 3 sprigs of thyme, 1 sliced lemon, 1 split vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Bright and clean, a good morning pot. Lemon verbena drops its leaves in autumn, so dry them now. Scent family: Citrus.
3. Lavender and vanilla
2 tablespoons of dried lavender buds, 1 split vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, the peel of 1 lemon.
Soft and floral; an evening pot that many people find calming. Use lavender you dried in summer. Scent families: Herbal, Sweet.
4. Rose geranium and apple
6–8 leaves of a rose-scented geranium such as ‘Attar of Roses’, 1 sliced apple, 1 cinnamon stick.
The RHS notes that scented geranium leaves can be used fresh or dried in pot pourri. Here they give a rosy, fruity pot that smells like baking. Scent families: Floral, Sweet.
5. Christmas evergreen
4 sprigs of rosemary, a handful of fresh or frozen cranberries, 1 sliced orange, 3 star anise, a pinch of grated nutmeg.
The simmer pot for when friends come round in December: red, green and full of spice. Scent families: Mediterranean, Spiced.
6. Herb garden morning
3 sprigs of sage, 4 sprigs of thyme, 2 sprigs of rosemary, 1 sliced lemon.
No sweet spices at all, just the herb bed. Green, savoury and fresh. Scent family: Herbal.
Which blend for which moment?
| When | Blend |
|---|---|
| Weekend morning in the kitchen | Lemon kitchen or Herb garden morning |
| A dark afternoon in November | Winter garden |
| Friends arriving in December | Christmas evergreen |
| A quiet evening | Lavender and vanilla |
| Baking day | Rose geranium and apple |
Herbs to dry now for your simmer pot recipes
Woody herbs keep their scent well when dried. Pick on a dry morning: a Penn State Extension fact sheet advises harvesting just after the dew has dried and before the plant flowers.
| Herb | In winter | What to do now |
|---|---|---|
| Rosemary | Evergreen; can be picked fresh in mild spells | Dry a few bundles as a store for frozen weeks |
| Bay | Evergreen | Pick fresh as needed, or dry a jar of leaves |
| Thyme and sage | Evergreen, but slow in cold weather | Dry small bundles now |
| Lemon verbena | Drops its leaves; tender | Strip and dry every leaf before frost |
| Lavender | Dormant | Use buds you dried in summer |
| Scented geranium | Indoors on the windowsill | Pick leaves fresh all winter |
To air-dry: tie small bundles and hang them upside down in a warm, dry, dark, well-ventilated place. Penn State gives 20–32°C (68–90°F) and says drying can take two weeks or more. A paper bag over each bundle keeps the light off and catches falling leaves. Store the dried herbs in a cool, dry place; properly stored, they keep for up to a year.
To dry citrus slices: slice an orange 5 mm (¼ in) thick, lay the slices on a baking tray and dry them in the oven on its lowest setting with the door slightly ajar, turning them now and then, until they are leathery and dry.
Not sure which of your herbs will survive the winter outside? Our guide to overwintering herbs sorts them into stay out, shelter or bring in.
A simmer pot jar to give
A dry simmer pot mix in a jar is one of the easiest presents you can make from the garden. For a 500 ml (1 pint) jar, layer:
- 4–5 dried orange slices
- 2 cinnamon sticks and 1 teaspoon of cloves
- 3 star anise
- 2 tablespoons of dried rosemary and 4 dried bay leaves
- a small bundle of dried lavender on top, tied with twine
Add a label: “Tip into 1.5 litres of water. Bring just to the boil, then keep on the lowest heat. Top up every 30 minutes. Never leave unattended.” Our gifts from the garden guide has more label ideas and a schedule for December.
How to simmer safely
- Stay with it. The US National Fire Protection Association advises that if you are simmering, you check it regularly, stay in the kitchen while it cooks and use a timer as a reminder.
- Never let it boil dry. A dry pan scorches the herbs and can damage the pan.
- Use the back hob if children are around. The water is hot enough to scald.
- Slow cooker instead: on low with the lid slightly open. Check the water level as you would on the hob, and switch it off when you go out or to bed.
Pets
Think about the ingredients, in case a pet eats them from the pan, the compost or a gift jar. The ASPCA lists rosemary, sage, thyme and cinnamon as non-toxic to dogs and cats. It lists bay laurel, lavender, lemon, orange, apple, mint, lemon verbena and pelargonium as toxic. Keep the pan and the jars out of reach, and see the ASPCA plant list for anything else you add.
Frequently asked questions
What do you put in a simmer pot?
Water, an aromatic herb, a fruit and a spice. With garden herbs that might be rosemary and bay with orange and cinnamon, or lavender with lemon peel and vanilla.
How long does a simmer pot last?
For as long as you keep topping it up, though the scent softens after a few hours. Kept in the fridge overnight, the same pot can usually be warmed again the next day. When the scent fades or the water turns cloudy, start a fresh one.
Can I use dried herbs in a simmer pot?
Yes. Dried rosemary, bay, thyme, lavender and lemon verbena all work well. Use about 2 tablespoons of dried herbs in place of 3–4 fresh sprigs.
Can I leave a simmer pot on overnight?
No. Never leave a simmer pot on the hob, or a slow cooker running, while you sleep or go out. Turn it off, cool it, and warm it again tomorrow.
Can I make a simmer pot in a slow cooker?
Yes. Use the low setting with the lid slightly open, and check the water as you would on the hob. Switch it off whenever you leave the room for long.
Which garden herbs smell best in a simmer pot?
The woody, resinous ones hold up best to long heat: rosemary, bay, thyme and sage. For a softer pot, use lavender, lemon verbena or rose-scented geranium leaves.
Your next step
Go out today and cut three sprigs of rosemary. Make the Winter garden pot this evening, and hang a few more bundles to dry for December.
Tell us in the comments: which herb from your own garden would you put in your first simmer pot?
Next, read Gifts From the Garden for dried herb bundles, sachets and labels, and how to keep scented geraniums alive indoors so you have fresh leaves all winter.
Sources
- NFPA: Cooking safety
- Penn State Extension: Harvesting and preserving herbs and spices (PDF)
- RHS: Scented-leaf pelargoniums
- ASPCA: Rosemary
- ASPCA: Bay laurel
- ASPCA: Lavender
- ASPCA: Lemon
Last updated: 10 October 2026 · Scented Garden
