The fall season has arrived and we’re beginning to fill our homes with the tantalizing scents of autumn spices.

 

Candles, potpourri and other scented goods are flying off store shelves so we can experience the familiar smell of the changing seasons, but there is another way to do it with four simple ingredients found in your own kitchen. By boiling various fruits and spices, you can bring the fresh scents of fall right to your kitchen. This method is great for when you’re hosting a party or a small get together and you don’t want to create mixed scents by burning multiple candles throughout the house.

 

The ingredients you will require are oranges, apples, ground cinnamon and ground cloves. By boiling these together over the stove, you will emit a mouthwatering scent of spiced goodness that can last hours. The different scents you get will depend on the combinations of ingredients.

 

via GIPHY

 

Apple Spice

This fragrance is personally my favorite, and I like to use the excess water after I’m done with it as an apple-spiced tea. For this spiced apple fragrance, you will need one apple, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a dash (less than ⅛ teaspoon) of ground cloves.The cloves are a key ingredient that give the mixture that spiced smell, but you only want to use about ⅛ teaspoon or less, or the smell will overpower everything else.

 

First, use a small pot over the stove and fill it about halfway with water. While the water is heating up, slice the apple into thin slices and add them to the water.

Sarah Fischer/Northern Star

 

Next, add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a dash of ground cloves. After boiling for about 5 minutes the scent will fill the room, and after about an hour it will fill your house. You can turn the stove off after boiling and the scent will continue to radiate, but when you feel like the smell has gone away you can start simmering it again, adding more water as needed.

Sarah Fischer/Northern Star

 

Citrus Spice

For this, you will need two full-sized oranges, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a dash of ground cloves.

Use a small pot over the stove and fill it halfway with water. While the water is heating up, peel the two oranges and place the peels into the water.

 

**Note: I use a potato peeler to peel the outside of the orange to avoid putting the white part into the water. If you decide to use the excess water as tea this white part will make it taste bitter, but you can just use the entire peel if you prefer.

Sarah Fischer/Northern Star

 

You can also cut the oranges in half and squeeze the juice into the water. This will enhance the citrus smell. Next, drop in ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and only a dash of ground cloves. Remember, adding too much clove will overpower the other ingredients.

Sarah Fischer/Northern Star

 

Citrus-Apple Spice

You can create a new fragrance by combining the apples and oranges with the cinnamon and cloves. You can use the same ingredients as the previous two (peels from two oranges, one apple thinly sliced, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and a dash of ground cloves), and follow boiling instructions. This combination creates a delicious cinnamon apple spice smell with a hint of citrus.