One of the simplest routines I’ve added to my kitchen is something I call My Simmer Pot Freezer Bag.

It wasn’t something I planned. It simply started one lemon peel at a time.

Every time I squeezed a lemon, peeled an orange, sliced a lime, cut fresh pineapple, or trimmed herbs from the garden, I realized those ingredients still had something to offer.

Instead of throwing them away, I started saving them.

Now, whenever I want to make a simmer pot, half the work is already done.

It’s a simple habit that reduces food waste, saves money, and makes it easy to enjoy a naturally fresh-smelling home throughout the year.

Build Your Simmer Pot Freezer Bag

I keep one large freezer bag just for fruit and citrus.

Great Ingredients to Save

Lemon slices or peels

Orange slices or peels

Lime slices or peels

Grapefruit peels

Apple peelings

Pineapple cores

Fresh cranberries

These ingredients naturally complement one another, making it easy to grab a handful whenever you’re ready to make a simmer pot.

Flash Freeze First

Before adding new ingredients to your freezer bag, spread them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Freeze them for a few hours until firm, then transfer them to your Simmer Pot Freezer Bag.

Flash freezing keeps the pieces from sticking together, so it’s easy to remove exactly what you need instead of trying to separate one large frozen clump.

Keep Herbs Separate

Fresh herbs deserve a little extra attention.

I freeze each herb separately in its own labeled sandwich-size freezer bag.

There are two reasons I do this.

First, once herbs are frozen, many of them look surprisingly similar. A quick label saves you from guessing whether you’re reaching for mint, rosemary, or thyme.

Second, storing herbs separately helps each one keep its own natural aroma. That gives you much more flexibility when creating different simmer pot blends.

Some herbs I like to freeze include:

Rosemary

Mint

Thyme

Sage

My Simmer Pot Pantry

Not everything belongs in the freezer.

I keep a few ingredients in my pantry so they’re always ready to add to a simmer pot.

Cinnamon sticks

Whole cloves

Star anise

Bay leaves

Keeping these ingredients together makes it easy to customize each simmer pot depending on the season.

Gigi Says…

Don’t think of this as saving scraps.

Think of it as giving good ingredients a second purpose.

A lemon peel that still smells fresh, a pineapple core from fruit you just enjoyed, or rosemary trimmed from the garden can all help create a warm, welcoming home instead of ending up in the compost.

Sometimes the smallest habits make everyday living a little lighter.

Stove or Slow Cooker?

Both methods work well.

A saucepan is perfect when you’re home for a few hours.

If you’d rather use a slow cooker, they’re often easy to find at thrift stores, Value Village, Goodwill, Habitat ReStore, Salvation Army, and other second-hand shops for just a few dollars.

If you plan to use only food ingredients such as fruit, herbs, spices, and water, many people continue using the same slow cooker for food after washing it thoroughly.

However, if you ever use essential oils, fragrance oils, wax, or any non-food ingredients, it’s best to dedicate that slow cooker to simmer pots only.

One Small Habit That Makes a Big Difference

Building a Simmer Pot Freezer Bag doesn’t happen overnight.

It grows one lemon peel, one orange, one pineapple core, and one handful of herbs at a time.

Before long, you’ll have everything you need to create beautiful simmer pot blends without making a special trip to the grocery store.

Continue with Your Next Step

Now that your Simmer Pot Freezer Bag is started, put it to good use with Summer Simmer Pot Recipes for a Fresh-Smelling Home, where you’ll find the Fresh Air Blend along with several other easy summer simmer pot ideas.

Keep Smiling,

Gigi