What to Simmer for a Fresh, Seasonal-Smelling Home

It's hard to think about potpourri without sneezing; the very idea of dried husks and petals in a decorative bowl screams dust and must. Which is why many take to the stovetop method, especially during the holiday seasons—though does a bubbling gunk of reduced wine, orange segments, and cloves really do it for you?

I'd rather just get whiffs of sappy evergreen-smell, or fresh rain-smell, or wet tree-smell all year long. 

With this in mind (and also because some fabric-dyeing experiments made us realize that simmering eucalyptus leaves give off a heavenly, spa-like scent) we decided to come up with some stovetop alternatives to the classic holiday in-a-potpourri mixes. Just drop them in some water, set the pot to a low, low simmer, and waft away. Bonus points to the cook who puts scraps to this purpose! Here are some ideas for better-smelling stovetop potpourri. 

Fresh

• clipped eucalyptus leaves
• a mix of citrus peels
• leftover ginger nubs

Woodsy

• rosemary + pine needles
• sandalwood, cedar, or pine wood chips 
• tobacco leaves
• sage + a few drops of liquid smoke

Floral

• chamomile + a bay leaf
• lavender blossoms
• magnolia petals

Sweet

• cinnamon + star anise
• vanilla pods that you've scraped free of beans
• pear peels + pink peppercorns

Using essential oils would work, but the scent might not linger as long as if you use whole ingredients. Add plenty of water to cover, heat over your burner's lowest setting, and breathe in deeply. It should at least tide you over until dinner. 

Eucalyptus photo by Alpha Smoot; orange peel photo by Mark Weinberg.

We first ran this post last year, but brought it back for all the holiday good-smellies. 

How do you make your whole house smell good (besides baking cookies)? Let us know in the comments!