Simple Juniper and Orange Simmer Pot Recipe

This Simple Winter Juniper and Orange Spice Simmer Pot Recipe is an easy and natural way to make your home smell warm and cozy for long cold winter days.

There is something deeply comforting about a home that smells warm and welcoming. Long before scented sprays and plug-ins, families used simmer pots—simple combinations of fruit, herbs, and spices gently warming on the stove—to freshen their air.

Simmer pots are one of my favorite ways to bring that old-fashioned comfort into our home. They’re easy, beautiful, reusable, and make the loveliest handmade gifts.

This year I decided to make a large batch of my Winter Juniper and Orange Simmer Pot recipe to add to our handmade Christmas gift bags for family and friends. I’ve been making simmer pots since my oldest was a baby, but somewhere along the way I forgot just how much I loved them. This juniper and orange blend has quickly become one of my favorite winter scents.

What Is a Simmer Pot?

A simmer pot is a small pot of water infused with natural ingredients like citrus, spices, and herbs. As it gently simmers, the steam carries those warm, comforting aromas throughout your home.

Unlike artificial fragrances, simmer pots use real ingredients and can be customized to suit the season or your mood.

Why Juniper and Orange?

There is something about the scent of oranges and evergreens together that just feels like winter to me. The bright citrus of the orange balances the fresh, woodsy scent of juniper, while cinnamon and star anise add just enough warmth and spice to make the whole house feel cozy.

For this simmer pot recipe, I chose dried juniper berries rather than fresh juniper branches. They have that beautiful piney, slightly resinous scent I was looking for, but they’re also easy to keep on hand and simple to tuck into dried simmer pot pouches for gifting. However, I have been known to harvest my own juniper branches with berries attached for my personal simmer pots and the gift bags I make for Christmas.

The dehydrated oranges bring a brighter note to the blend and pair so beautifully with the deeper scent of the juniper. I especially love using dehydrated slices because I can prepare them ahead of time and keep all of the ingredients completely dry until I’m ready to use them. That also means I can make several simmer pot pouches at once and have them ready for simple winter gifts.

Cinnamon sticks and star anise finish everything off. They aren’t meant to overpower the orange and juniper, but instead bring that familiar warmth that makes a winter simmer pot smell so comforting.

Altogether, the scent is fresh and woodsy, but still warm and homey. It doesn’t smell like a fragrance trying to imitate winter—it smells like the real things I associate with the season: citrus, evergreens, warm spices, and something good simmering away on the stove.

Ingredients You’ll Need

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One of the things I love about simmer pots is how simple they are. You don’t need anything complicated to fill your home with a beautiful winter fragrance—just a few fruits and spices, water, and a small pot on the stove. Here are the ingredients I use.

Fresh or Dehydrated Oranges: I typically use one fresh orange, sliced into rounds. The orange brings a bright citrus scent that balances the deeper, woodsy fragrance of the juniper. You can also use 4–5 dehydrated orange slices if that’s what you have on hand. I use dehydrated oranges when I’m assembling simmer pot pouches to give as gifts.

Juniper Berries: Juniper berries give this simmer pot its distinctive fresh, evergreen scent. I use about 1 tablespoon of culinary-grade dried juniper berries. Lightly crushing a few of the berries before adding them to the pot can help release more of their fragrance.

Cinnamon sticks: Two cinnamon sticks bring warmth to the blend and pair beautifully with both the orange and juniper.

Whole Star Anise: Two whole star anise add another layer of warm spice with a slightly sweet, licorice-like aroma. They’re also especially pretty when you’re making the dried version for gifting.

Water: Add about 3–4 cups of water, or enough to generously cover the ingredients in your saucepan. You’ll want to keep additional water nearby since you’ll need to add more as your simmer pot evaporates.

Vanilla extract, optional: If you’d like a softer, sweeter fragrance, add about a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the water.

How To Make a Simple Juniper and Orange Simmer Pot

Making this winter simmer pot really couldn’t be simpler. Add the sliced fresh orange (or dehydrated orange slices), juniper berries, cinnamon sticks, and star anise to a small saucepan, then pour in 3–4 cups of water, or enough to generously cover the ingredients.

Bring the water just to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow everything to slowly simmer uncovered. As the ingredients warm, the scent will begin to fill your kitchen and gradually make its way through the house.

Keep an eye on the water level while your simmer pot is on the stove, adding more water whenever needed. You never want the pot to simmer dry. I usually let mine go for a few hours, adding water along the way, or simply turn it off whenever I’m finished enjoying it for the day.

For an even warmer scent, you can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract once the pot begins simmering.

How to Make a Batch of Dehydrated Juniper and Orange Simmer Pot Gift Pouches

This recipe will make roughly 14 simmer pot gift pouches, depending on how many usable slices you get from your oranges. If you have a few dehydrated orange slices, cinnamon sticks, or spices left over when you’re finished, I highly recommend going ahead and simmering a pot for yourself to enjoy while you assemble the rest of your bags or jars.

Supplies You Will Need

• Wax-lined pouches for gifting: These are best for shorter-term storage. I sealed mine with my food sealer, but because these particular bags aren’t vacuum sealed, sealing the top doesn’t remove the oxygen inside the pouch. I still prefer jars when I want to store the mixture longer.
• Pint jars: A great option for gifting or storing your dried simmer pot ingredients.
• Food dehydrator: for drying your own orange slices and Juniper branches and berries.
• Cookie cooling racks: If you plan to dehydrate your oranges in the oven. Dehydrate them below 150F and make sure they are completely dry before packaging them or they will mold.
• Food sealer: optional: I have a very old FoodSaver that is still going strong. It’s not necessary but it sure is useful.

Ingredients Needed to make Juniper and Orange Simmer Pot Pouches

• 1 (4-pound) bag fresh oranges
• 28 cinnamon sticks (2 per pouch)
• Small juniper/Eastern red cedar sprigs with berries attached, fully dried
• About 14 teaspoons dried juniper berries (1 teaspoon per pouch)
• 28 whole star anise (2 per pouch)

The exact number of orange slices will vary depending on the size of your oranges. Plan on approximately 3–4 dried slices per pouch.

A Note About Juniper

We have quite a few Eastern red cedar trees growing on our property, so I like to send the children outside to gather small berry-covered branches for these pouches. We dry them completely before using them. It gives the children a simple way to be involved in making the gifts we’re giving to friends and family, which makes these little pouches feel even more special.

Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is actually a species of juniper despite its common name. If you plan to forage your own, however, positively identify the plant before harvesting it. Don’t assume that an evergreen with blue berries is safe simply because it resembles juniper. When in doubt, use purchased culinary-grade dried juniper berries or substitute a sprig of rosemary.

These pouches are intended for simmering and fragrance, not for eating or drinking. Do not consume foraged berries or use the simmer-pot water as a beverage.

Don’t Have Juniper Branches?

That’s completely fine. You can make these pouches with dried juniper berries alone. If you can’t source juniper branches, rosemary is another beautiful option. In fact, I frequently used rosemary in my simmer pots before I had a free source of juniper branches and berries growing right outside.

Prepare the Oranges

Begin by slicing your oranges into approximately 1/4-inch slices. A mandoline would be very handy here for getting perfectly uniform slices, but since I no longer have one, I use a sharp knife and cutting board and simply take my time.

After slicing, gently blot both sides of each orange slice with a clean towel that you don’t mind potentially staining. Don’t press or squeeze the oranges—you are simply removing some of the surface moisture before they go into the dehydrator.

Arrange the slices in a single layer on your dehydrator trays. It’s fine if their edges touch, but don’t allow the slices to overlap. Overlapping slices dry unevenly and may stick together.

Dehydrate the oranges at about 130°F until completely dry, rotating trays as necessary for your dehydrator. Drying time will vary depending on the thickness and moisture content of the oranges, so judge them by dryness rather than the clock.

Allow the slices to cool completely before packaging them. Do not package oranges that still feel damp, tacky, or moist inside. Any remaining moisture can encourage mold and spoil your entire simmer pot pouch.

Dry the Juniper

Your juniper sprigs and berries also need to be completely dry before packaging.

I sometimes dry mine separately or simply leave the small sprigs out in a dry place until they’ve thoroughly dried. However you choose to dry them, don’t package them until you’re confident there is no remaining moisture in the plant material.

This is especially important when making the pouches ahead of time: one damp ingredient can introduce moisture into the entire package.

Assemble the Juniper & Orange Simmer Pot Pouches

Once everything is completely dry and cool, it’s time for the fun part.

I like to place one small dried juniper sprig toward the back of each pouch first. Then add 2 whole star anise, 3–4 dehydrated orange slices, 2 cinnamon sticks, and 1 teaspoon dried juniper berries.

I arrange the juniper toward the back so that it doesn’t cover the orange slices. The oranges, cinnamon, star anise, and blue juniper berries are so beautiful together that the ingredients really become part of the packaging.

Seal your pouches or tighten the lids on your jars, add a pretty ribbon or piece of twine if you’d like, and finish each one with the printable instruction tag below.

Free Printable Winter Simmer Pot Gift Tags

Want to turn these simmer pot pouches into simple, beautiful gifts? I made a set of printable Winter Simmer Pot Gift Tags with the simmering instructions right on the tag. There are 7 tags per sheet—just print two copies for the full batch of 14 pouches.

How to Use Your Juniper & Orange Simmer Pot

You’ll Need

• 1 simmer pot pouch
• A small saucepan or Dutch oven
• 3–4 cups water, plus additional water as needed

Directions

1. Empty the entire simmer pot pouch into a small saucepan.
2. Add 3–4 cups of water, or enough to generously cover the ingredients.
3. Bring the water just to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low.
4. Simmer uncovered and enjoy the fragrance, adding additional water whenever needed. Never allow the pot to simmer dry.

You can let your simmer pot gently fragrance the house for several hours, as long as you continue checking the water level and never leave it unattended.

Optional Add-Ins

You certainly don’t need to add anything else, but you can change the fragrance using something you already have in the kitchen.

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for a softer, sweeter fragrance
• A handful of fresh cranberries for another beautiful winter element
• A sprig of fresh rosemary for an even more herbal, woodsy fragrance

For a Warmer Fall Scent

For a warmer, cozier fall scent, add ½ teaspoon of homemade pumpkin pie spice to the simmer pot along with the other ingredients. The cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves give the orange and juniper a deeper, spiced fragrance that feels especially lovely in the fall.

Can You Reuse a Simmer Pot?

Yes. If the ingredients still have plenty of fragrance left when you’re finished, turn off the heat and allow the pot to cool. You can reuse the mixture again the same day by adding fresh water and returning it to a simmer.

Once the ingredients have lost most of their fragrance, it’s time to discard or compost them.

Why I Love Juniper & Orange Simmer Pot Bags

There are so many reasons I come back to simmer pots during the colder months:

• They fill our home with fragrance without relying on sprays or plug-ins.
• The simmering water adds a little welcome moisture to dry winter air.
• The dried ingredients can be prepared ahead of time.
• They’re beautiful enough to give as gifts.
• They’re simple enough to make with my children.

They’re such a small thing, but there is something peaceful about a pot of oranges, evergreen, and warm spices quietly simmering on the stove. In our busy home, I’ll gladly take those little reminders to slow down wherever I can find them.

A Thoughtful Handmade Gift

These little pouches have become one of those gifts I especially love because they’re both beautiful and useful. Tied with a bit of twine and one of the printable instruction tags below, they make lovely hostess gifts, teacher gifts, neighbor gifts, holiday gifts, or simple additions to a Christmas basket.

And with every little pouch we give away, someone else gets to bring that warm winter fragrance into their own home. There’s something especially sweet about giving a handmade gift that can bring a little warmth and comfort into someone else’s home during the colder months.

They’re practical, natural, and always appreciated.