Maybe the scent of cranberries, oranges and cinnamon filling the room makes coming home feel like a warm hug. Or it could be the aroma of apple slices and vanilla extract, reminding you of baking a cake with the help of a favourite relative, that brightens up your day. Whatever the associations, there’s something about the scent of spices and fruits simmering on the hob that lifts the spirits, activates the parasympathetic nervous system and signals that all is well. But you don’t have to be mid-bake to fill the air with delicious aromas. A simmer pot – containing ingredients like lemon, apple or orange slices, star anise, bay, cranberries, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, rosemary and cloves – can bubble away whenever you feel like clearing the air.
What’s cooking?
If you haven’t come across the idea before, a simmer pot is an easy thing to do. It needs only a heavy-based pan, a good amount of water and a selection of natural ingredients, which is then placed on the hob on a low-to-medium heat – scenting your space and soothing your spirits as it bubbles away. It’s a back-to-basics approach to perfuming the air in a natural and effective manner while exercising your olfactory creativity.
‘It’s simply the use of aromatic herbs, flowers, roots, citrus rinds and other botanical materials in water,’ says aromatherapist Jade Shutes, founder and director of education at The School for Aromatic Studies in Virginia, US. ‘This is heated up to create a light steam to infuse one’s environment with beautiful natural aromas to nourish and support emotional wellbeing.’
Natural choice
While air fresheners, diffusers and scented candles have their place, some have a slight chemical undertone. They can also comprise materials that aren’t always so environmentally friendly as well as coming with a hefty price tag. ‘Most of all, I love that simmer pots are easy to create and less expensive than using essential oils,’ says Jade.
Element of ritual
Your gently simmering pot might evoke images of a bubbling cauldron and green witchcraft, which embraces the natural world, calling on it for guidance and using it as an aid to lift the spirits. There’s something intrinsically soothing about choosing ingredients that will combine to create an uplifting aroma. The act of gathering, laying out and prepping items has a ritualistic element that also brings focus to the present moment while offering an opportunity to practise everyday creativity. ‘I love using the aromatic plant material I harvest from my own gardens,’ says Jade, ‘or purchasing organic oranges, lemons, limes or apples from our local cooperative as they come into season.’
Scents to share
Once you’ve found your perfect simmer-pot recipes you could make a set of jars for the store cupboard. That way, you can treat yourself whenever you’re in need of a relaxing atmosphere in which to unwind. Just as importantly, you can also share the gift of calm. Just pop the simmer ingredients in a decorative sachet or glass jar, add a handwritten tag tied on with colourful ribbon or string and then surprise a family member, friend or colleague. They’re particularly great as housewarming presents and make for perfect personalised gifts if you can uncover the recipient’s favourite scents beforehand and adjust the ingredients to match.
Healing aromas
Aromatherapy involves using smells to heal and, in the purest sense, applies to essential oils. There’s no consensus on whether simmer pots provide similar effects to those of essential oils, but few would dispute that the scent of lavender is calming or the waft of freshly baked chocolate-chip-and-almond cookies boosts the spirits.
Rachel McKinlay, clinical massage therapist and owner of Restore Aromatherapy in London, UK, says that the key is for scents to be natural rather than synthetic. ‘Whether it’s supporting your health, skincare or [as alternatives] to using household products – nature has many wonderful gifts to offer us,’ she says. ‘We don’t need to turn to harsh chemicals.’
From her work with essential oils, Rachel knows it’s important to try different scent combinations until you find one that suits you. ‘I use essential oils to help support and maintain my own health, so I experience their healing power each day,’ she says. ‘But each oil speaks to every person differently. It may take them to a happy memory long forgotten, or stir something profound in them, or they may have a strong aversion to the smell.’ In the same way, the scent of a candle might appeal or appal and a simmer pot might delight or disappoint. The trick is to experiment, to mix and match, to personalise – it’s your space, so you get to decide on the fragrance.
To learn more about Jade, go to aromaticstudies.com. Follow Rachel at restorearomatherapy.co.uk