Holiday Stovetop Potpourri Mason Jar Gifts
06. November 2024You know when you are cooking beets and eating sardines, and folks walk into your kitchen… then do a 180˚ spin-a-roonie to beat feet outta there? This isn’t that. This is the OPPOSITE of that! These delightful potpourri jars smell absolutely amazing! They are a cinch to whip together. And, best of all, they are outstanding homemade gifts for everyone who needs a better smelling domicile (and even those who don’t).
Decorate jars with Custom Merry Christmas kraft canning labels. Add directions, holiday scent, or message.
So Why Homemade Potpourri?
You may ask “Why do I need homemade potpourri mason jars? I have this can of Air Freshener that makes things smell wonderful”. That may be true, but what exactly is INSIDE of that air freshener to make it smell so magical? Many air fresheners contain harmful chemicals that exacerbate respiratory conditions like asthma. They may also be detrimental to reproductive health or developmental health in children. Plus, exposure to some chemicals has also been linked to cancer. And even if they disclose the chemical compounds of the spray, there is always the catch-all “fragrance”, which can literally be any number of toxic substances. Gross.
Meanwhile, you can construct a wonderful pot of potpourri from all natural dried fruits, spices, herbs, and essential oils. Nothing to worry over as you and your family breathe in the ambrosial and soothing aromas that remind you of the holiday season.
Can I Dry and Use My Own Fruits and Herbs?
I would… and do! These are topics we have covered previously in our DIY Instant Oatmeal Jars post and Drying Herbs post. Drying fruits is an extremely easy process. All it takes is a bit of prep and completion time. One step you may choose to exclude is treating your sliced fruit with citric acid to prevent oxidation. This step prevents your fruit from turning brown as it dries. Since that is purely a cosmetic choice and does not affect the quality of the completed fruit, you can skip it for this project. Drying the herbs is an even easier endeavor. Just cut, wash, and let them dry to a crisp.
Added bonus, citrus peels and apples both smell heavenly as they are dehydrating!
Follow the directions for using a dehydrator or oven to dry fruit in our DIY Instant Oatmeal Jars post.
What Choices Do I Have?
There is cornucopia of options you have when making homemade simmer pots. And since the fruit will not be eaten, no need to buy expensive organics either. I usually get clearance fruit at Kroger just for this purpose. They often put four fruit in a discount bag for a dollar per bag. Sometimes it isn’t pretty, but it works perfect for these jars. If you have a crisper filled with older, not-so-fresh-apples, slice them up to make potpourri jars!
The Fruit
- Apples
- Pears
- Oranges
- Lemons
- Limes
- Grapefruit
- Cranberries
PRO-TIP: In addition to your apple and citrus slices, shave off some zest or apple peel with a vegetable peeler. Dry them in your dehydrator along with the slices (peels will dry much faster). This will create a more colorful and fun-looking potpourri jar, especially if you use green and red apples.
For larger citrus, like grapefruit, feel free to slice into wedges. For more fun-looking potpourri, add dried citrus zest peels too.
The Herbs
- Peppermint
- Lavender
- Lemon verbena
- Chamomile
The Spices
- Cinnamon sticks
- Cloves
- Pumpkin spice
- Allspice
- Nutmeg
Extras (to give it the WOW!)
- Essential oils & extracts (almond, citrus, vanilla, peppermint, maple, lavender, hazelnut)
- Vanilla beans
- Coffee beans
- Ginger (root or crystallized)
- Cocoa nibs
- Dried cranberries and raisins
Store your dried fruit in containers until you are ready to pack your mason jars.
Stovetop Potpourri Recipes
As far as combining the ingredients, there are no bad choices… as long as it pleases your nose. That said, I have come up with a few suggestions as a starting point. I use wide-mouth pint jars for easier packing, but you can use whatever you have.
Apple Pie (or Pear) with Big Ol’ Cinnamon Stick
- Enough dried apple or pear to mostly fill your mason jar (Pro-tip: mix apple & pear together *chef’s kiss*)
- 1 large or 3 small cinnamon sticks
- Sprinkling of cloves (whole or powdered)
- A few dried cranberries and/or raisins
Make the apple spice potpourri jars extra colorful with skin peelings. Choose both red and green apples. Peel strips of skin off with a vegetable peeler. Dry them with your fruit slices (they will dry much faster).
Citrus & Cinnamon Celebration
- Enough dried citrus to mostly fill your mason jar (a mix of orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit)
- 1 large or 3 small cinnamon sticks
- Spinkling of cloves (whole or powdered)
- Grated ginger root or crystalized ginger
- Optional: Several drops of citrus essential oil
- Recipe Variation: Use vanilla bean instead of the spices.
Decorate jars with Custom Merry Christmas kraft canning labels. Add directions, holiday scent, or message.
Vanilla Heaven
- 2-3 vanilla beans (or vanilla extract)
- Coffee beans to half fill your mason jar
- Cinnamon stick or extract
- Recipe Variation: Use dried fruit instead of coffee beans
Decorate mason jars with Apothecary Santa and Red Apothecary labels.
PRINT THE RECIPE CARD
PRINT THE RECIPE CARD
Fill Your Mason Jar Gifts
There is no wrong way to fill the jars up, since they will eventually be poured into a pot and cooked anyway. But, since you are giving a gift, arranging the ingredients artfully inside the jar would be a plus. Place the cinnamon sticks or vanilla beans vertically, near the front of the glass jar. The larger fruit, herbs, and peels can be packed in creative patterns. The smaller spices and herbs can fill the space near the top. I like to place one large apple or citrus slice on the very top of the jar too.
Custom Christmas Labels, left to right: Apothecary Santa, Kraft Merry Christmas, and Red Apothecary labels. CanningCrafts’ labels can be custom printed with your stovetop potpourri directions, holiday scents, names or short message.
Make Them Pretty!
Now, you can’t just give those pretty jars out as gifts without decorating them, can you? Well, yes, you technically can. But having fancy custom Christmas canning labels make them perfect for gift giving. Decorate your jars with red & green baker’s twine and a sprig of pine or rosemary. Customize the labels with potpourri directions, scents, or even a holiday message and names.
Using Your Stovetop Potpourri
Utilizing your simmer pots is the easiest step in the process. Just fill a pot about half way with water, and add your favorite mix. Then simmer uncovered over low heat on your stove. And breathe in the good vibes. Ahhhh!
IMPORTANT: Set a timer if you aren’t going to be near your simmer pot the entire time. It’s easy to put it out of your mind or get wrapped up in something else. And you DO NOT want the pot to boil dry. Just add more water if that starts to happen and you want to keep enjoying the aroma.
How Long Will This Last?
Your simmer pot will last a few days, with moderate use. Just turn the heat on for a little bit if you need a refresher of the enchanting bouquet. Once it has run its course, you can compost most of the items that make up the potpourri. NOTE: Citrus peel shouldn’t be composted. BUT, if you happen to have a garbage disposal in your kitchen sink, shredding some of those citrus peels in there will freshen it up quite nicely. If the cloves are softened, you may want to add a few of those in the disposal too!
PRINT THE RECIPE CARD
If you're looking to dress up your Christmas mason jars for gift-giving, shop our Christmas Canning Labels.
Want more Christmas Jam recipes? See our Black Forest Macaroon Jam Canning Recipe.
See our Christmas Jam recipe blog post. It's great for Thanksgiving as well as Christmas!
See our DIY Christmas Mason Jar Gift Ideas blog post for other recipes & holiday decor including:
Christmas Mason Jar Wreath
Christmas Dough Scented Ornaments
Christmas Printable Ring Ornaments
Follow our Christmas Canning Pinterest Board for recipes & inspiration.
Sign up for our newsletter to get free printables, gardening tips, recipes, Christmas printables & recipes, product updates, & a 10% off coupon on your first order of canning labels in our shop.
