Her potpourri reminded me that it's the season to start using a potpourri that I make every year.
Here's the recipe I follow in making mine.
HOLIDAY POTPOURRI
2 cups dried apples, cut in pieces
2 cups fresh cranberries, halved
10 - 6" cinnamon sticks, broken
4 whole nutmegs, smashed with a hammer
1/2 cup whole cloves
1/2 cup whole allspice
Allow apples and cranberries to air dry for several days. (I do this by spreading them in a 9 x 13" open pan and stirring a couple of times each day. You could also do it in a food dehydrator.)
When cranberries are dried, mix all ingredients together and store in an air-tight jar.
To simmer the potpourri, place 1/4 cup mixture and one cup water in a small saucepan.
Place the pan over a low heat and simmer for several hours, enjoying the delightful aroma. Add more water as needed.This recipe makes about one quart of potpourri. Eight-ounce jars of it along with instructions make a nice little gift.
I simmer ours on the wood stove. (It would be nice if I could come up with a more attractive container, wouldn't it?) It works just as well over a very low heat on any cooking range.This concoction gives off a wonderful aroma. Often when people walk in they think it's something yummy baking in the oven. Ooops. Maybe not so nice to whet their appetites then not have something to serve them!
....I can smell it!
ReplyDeleteI honestly believe that the smell must be DE-vine.....but all I can keep thinking about is....I could be EATING THAT!!!! (Yes folks, that is one reason I'm 30# overweight).
ReplyDeleteAlthough I may have to resort to some homemade potpourri as the whole house smells like chicken soup....not bad after the first day, but we're going on day four of canning chicken & stock and honestly, I'm sick of it.
Can you believe that there are NO fresh cranberries to be found anywhere in my area. Was there some horrible thing that happened to the cranberry bogs this year? But if I have a questionable apple I may just dry it an add it to the potpourri too.
ReplyDeletedr momi - What a good nose you have, my dear!
ReplyDeleteCarolyn Renee - I dunno, Sweetie, you might have trouble chewing on that whole allspice and cloves! The shards of the nutmeg might be hard on your mouth, too!
Isn't it funny how something that really smells SO good can become not-so-good when you've been exposed to it for too long?
Jane - What? No fresh cranberries? The ones I used were from my freezer but I know I saw some fresh ones at our organic co-op earlier this week. I haven't heard of a cranberry crop failure but did you hear that because of peanut crop failure this year all peanut products are going to triple in cost?? Great. Just great.
Mmm, that smells heavenly! I can tell.
ReplyDeleteJudy
Judy - Thanks! ;o} I'm gonna try to remember to use it more this winter.
ReplyDeleteGoing to have to make some potpourri ......... I have 3 orange trees, and this week I found a copper potpourri pot at a thrift store for $2.00, has holes in the lid, would be really good for the top of the wood stove, I would probably go off and forget it if I left it on the kitchen stove ......... like I did fixing hard boiled eggs, thought I had some bubble wrap popping itself, glad I was still in the house to check on the "NOISE".
ReplyDeleteOooh, nice find, Tombstone Livestock! That really sounds (and smells, virtually or otherwise) just wonderful! I think I might have to make that one, too. I dry all my orange peels as I go along, so I might toss some of those in, too. And I might be willing to chomp through all the hard stuff - it sounds and looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteTombstone Livestock - Beware! Susan and I may make a road trip and abscond with that copper potpourri pot you just found!
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your boiled egg fiasco. I had 5 eggs on the counter ready to make a custard pie. As I was working elsewhere in the near vicinity, I kept hearing sharp, little POPS and couldn't figure out what they were . . . until I found three of the eggs had rolled off the counter and smashed on the floor. (Duh!)
Susan - Your potpourri will smell so good you'll be satisfied enough you won't have to eat it. ;o} (Did I just write the most ridiculous sentence ever?)
I know better than to think I have time this weekend to make this BUT I'm at least going to simmer SOMETHING good I can find while I'm sewing! Ever since seeing Jane's orange slices I've been wanting to smell them!
ReplyDeleteErin - Yup, it's so nice this time of year. This morning I finally dumped the 1/4 cup of my potpourri that I'd been simmering for three days!! I think I got my money's worth out of those ingredients.
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