Handmade Holiday: DIY Winter Spice Simmer Pot Kits

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Yesterday I was feeling kind of down, nursing a sore throat and a headache from running on a low amount of sleep, and my brain would not seem to work like I needed it to, to get work projects done. By mid-morning I crashed, my brain was like “dooooh” and I succumbed to my bed for a cat-nap, but when I woke I still needed something to lift my spirits. So I put on Christmas music, made and hung some wreaths on the walls, and filled the house with the aroma of warm wintry spices simmering away on the stove. Mood immediately lifted.

Then I thought, a simmer pot spice kit would be a great handmade gift. I’m thinking stocking stuffer, winter solstice gift, hostess gift, teacher gift or part of a collection of hand made goodies for your close friends and family. It couldn’t be easier to put together and will have the recipient’s abode smelling oh so lovely this winter.

How Much Spices to Add to a Simmer Pot

For 1 quart of water I added 4 cinnamon sticks, the peel of 1 tangerine, several whole star anise pods, about 1 teaspoon each of whole cloves and allspice, and a little piece of mace. I loved this combo and my partner agreed when he walked in that it smelled inviting and homey inside.

Winter Spiced Simmer Pot Ingredients

Base Ingredients:

• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 3-4 star anise pods
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice
• 2 dried orange slices

Optional Extra Ingredients to Add:

• juniper berries
• cedar berries
• fir needles
• spruce needles
• vanilla bean
• mace
• cardamom pods

How to Make a Simmer Pot Kit to Gift

Step 1: Add Spices and Other Ingredients to Tins

To make a simmer pot kit to gift, fill a small tin or jar with the base ingredients and add any or a combo of the following extras if you wish.

Step 2: Decorate the Gift Tins

Tie with ribbon/raffia/twine and a piece of evergreen for a winter/holiday touch.

Add a handwritten label or a printed sticker with instructions to simmer on the stovetop in 1 quart of water.

Simmer Pot Storage

The unused simmer pot spices will keep in the tins for up to 1 year.

Once the simmer pot kit is used, the infusion or mixture can be refrigerated and reused multiple times. Discard the mixture if it begins to mold, of course.

I used this tin, and you can find many other shapes and sizes of tins and jars on that site.

Happy Gifting!

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