Only a few weeks until Thanksgiving, and I am ready for the holiday season. In fact, I may or may not have been caught humming Christmas carols by my husband this morning...
While it may not be time for that yule tide spirit quite yet, there is no reason why we shouldn't be able to enjoy some seasonal crafts (and indulge in looking at some holiday recipes as well). And with my jar candles nearing their last scented breath, I decided to start off November with something that I've never tried to make before: potpourri.
There are two types of potpourri, simmering and dried. Both seem pretty easy to make with any array of spices, herbs, fruits, or flowers that you like. For today's craft, I decided to make orange spice simmering potpourri with some of the fruits and spices that I have around the house. I'm hoping to make some dried potpourri in the future with the growing pile of pine cones I've been hoarding and the pine needles from our Christmas tree coming the first weekend in December!
What you need:
2 large oranges
2 red apples
Cinnamon, ground or sticks
Nutmeg
Cloves, ground or whole
Apple juice concentrate
Vanilla extract
Large pot
First, I added about 1/2 cup of vanilla extract and the entire can of apple juice concentrate to a large pot on low heat, then added two cans of water using the empty juice container.
Now you can start adding your spices. I started with 1 Tbl of ground nutmeg...
...then 1 tsp of ground cloves...
...and finally 1 Tbl of ground cinnamon. Allow the liquid to come to a simmer. Of course, you can use any amount of spices that you like, but these portions ended up working really well.
Next, I sliced the oranges thinly and then added them to my pot of simmering water.
The potpourri really started smelling wonderful! Eric could smell the aroma from his study and even came downstairs to see what I was making.
Next, slice the apples and add them to the pot. You could add other fruits too, such as cranberries which would look very pretty! I'm hoping to use them in my Christmas batch of potpourri.
And you're all done! Let the pot simmer on the stove, and it will fill the house with that unmistakable autumn aroma.
If you have a small crockpot or potpourri burner, you can put some of the potpourri in it and sit the pot to simmer in the living room or bathroom.
As you're letting your potpourri simmer, make sure to keep an eye on the amount of water in the pot! Add extra water and spices as the liquid decreases. And when you're ready to turn the pot off, store your potpourri in a jar for the next time you want to fill the room with that wonderful fragrance! It can even make a nice gift!
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