My Famous Holiday Simmering Stovetop Potpourri Recipe

updated 11/30/2023

I LOVE the idea of having a signature gift that you gift friends, family & all the people you love in life each holiday season. While it’s nice to have a tradition and something you’re known for, it’s even nicer to not have to dream up something unique or different year after year! My signature gift has been this ‘stovetop potpourri recipe’ for YEARS – I’ve been making them for friends, teachers, neighbors & family since about 2015.

Stovetop Potpourri aka Simmering Potpourri is SO simple to make, it’s a beautiful gift, smalls great, can easily be regifted (hey, it’s worth noting!) and it’s fairly inexpensive to do in bulk. You can also easily customize or add your own twist to these mason jar gifts!

Basically, you fill a mason jar with a bunch of smell-good ingredients, seal it and tie a ribbon + gift tag around it and the recipient simmers it on the stove or in a slow cooker all day and it makes their home smell like the holidays!

tap here for the printable tags + an easy cheat sheet

We’re making the 16oz (aka Pint Sized) version of my stovetop potpourri recipe this year! I used to make 32 oz jars but actually love the smaller Pint Sized version because it makes each jar less expensive & easier to gift.

Simmering Stovetop Potpourri Supplies 

12 pack from Amazon under $2/jar // 12 pack from Walmart – $1.25/jar // 12 pack from Target – $1.25/jar

bulk cinnamon sticks // you can often find these locally in international grocery stores

vanilla extract – it’s gotta be vanilla extract and brand isn’t important but you need vanilla extract vs imitation vanilla

cloves – another part of the recipe you need to buy in bulk!

Other ingredients:

• fresh cranberries
• apple cider (you’ll want to get apple cider versus apple juice or apple cider vinegar)
• tangerines aka clementines aka Cuties – even oranges will work but I find the smaller size of tangerines works well. I usually buy the big bag or box of them.
• pine or rosemary sprigs (I borrowed from our Christmas tree)
• fresh ginger

You can usually find these fresh ingredients at bulk places like Costco, Sams Club or Walmart. The amount you’ll need will depend on how many you’re making!

Stovetop Potpourri Portions & Ingredients List for Pint Sized Jars

• 1.5 cuties/tangerines/mandarins – you can do one if they’re bigger, 1.5 if they’re smaller. Remove any stickers & quarter them.
• 1/2 cup of cranberries – this can be a heaping scoop!
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 inch fresh ginger – no need to peel or grate
• 1/2 cup apple cider (NOT apple cider vinegar!)
• 1 small spring greenery (pine, rosemary, etc)
• fill the rest with water

The measurements don’t have to be precise here, but this ratio fits well in the 16 oz jar.

Simmering Potpourri Gift Tags

get the free stovetop potpourri tags here

paper cutter // hole punch // baker’s twine

Stovetop Potpourri Q&A

How far in advance can you make these?

You can make these weeks in advance! Store them somewhere cool like the fridge, a basement, or outside if you live somewhere chilly. They will last ok at room temperature, too, but chilled will keep better.

Mine smelled vinegar-y – what happened?

You may have accidentally used apple cider VINEGAR or your ingredients may have fermented. I haven’t personally had any of the jars ferment but it’s possible. Keeping them cool should help prevent fermentation!

2020 How-To

follow me on Instagram // see my 2020 Stovetop Potpourri highlight // 2021 stovetop potpourri highlight on instagram

Hope this helps! Leave any questions in the comments.

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