Autumn Simmering Scent
One of the best parts of autumn is undoubtedly all the wonderful scents of the season! For a couple of years I have been putting together these homemade stove-top fall scents for the store and my own home. Each year I have added a few more ingredients and perfected my recipe a little more. These little jars of ingredients pack a punch, within a few minutes they will make your whole home smell just heavenly and exactly like fall! I've included all the ingredients and step-by-step directions below so that you can make your own- or if you don't have the time, we have pre-made jars available for purchase online + in-store (shop them below!)
Cinnamon Sticks
Cloves
Dried Orange Slices (directions for drying below)
Dried Apple Slices (directions for drying below)
Rosemary
Vanilla Extract
1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
2. Carefully slice your apples and oranges into thin slices (I used a mandolin slicer for the apples). 1 apple and 1 orange will make you 2-4 batches.
3. Line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the apple and orange slices in a single layer on top of the parchment paper.
4. Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours for the oranges and 3-4 hours for the apples.
5. Remove from the oven and let the dried fruit slices cool.
6. Create a batch of simmering scent by taking a handful of each ingredient: 3-5 slices of each fruit, 6-8 cinnamon sticks, 1/4 cup cloves, and 2-3 small sprigs of rosemary. Top with a couple of drops of vanilla.
7. To use: pour your ingredients into a saucepan, cover with water, and simmer on low heat for as long as you like!
After the first use, I just keep this saucepan on the stove and reuse it for weeks! You can just add more water when needed and just turn on the simmer whenever you are home. When the ingredients start to look a little stale, just dump the entire pot and start a new batch. You can also warm this in a crockpot by using similar instructions: add ingredients to a crockpot, cover with water, and turn on high heat (leave the top off and check on it every couple of hours in case more water is needed). These make such wonderful gifts and this is also a perfect scent to have going when you have company! The dried fruit and rosemary add just the right amount of fresh fall brightness while the cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla add a deep, warm spice. There's nothing more cozy than coming home to this perfect autumn scent and enoying it all season long!
xoxo
Emily
