Easy Spring & Summer Simmer Pot (Homemade Fruit Punch)
I’m not sure I always believe in horoscopes, but, as a Cancer, a lot of what I’ve read about them falls into the “yeah, that’s me” bucket (except the crying thing… I’m not the weeper Cancer’s are made out to be). Anyways, a core attribute is the home, and I’m all in for yummy scents. I want people to walk into wherever I live and be like, “This place smells good.”
Anymore, I’m trying to become much more aware of the scents I am bringing into my space. It’s wild how many chemicals and harmful ingredients are in so many candles, waxes, etc. So, anytime I can bring a little homeopathic, naturally delicious smell inside, I’m all for it.
Enter the simmer pot. Now, for the most part, I only ever hear of a simmer pot during colder months, especially the fall and leading up to the holidays. But as the birds started chirping, flowers started blooming, and gardens were being planned, I thought… wait, why can’t we have a simmer pot as the months get warmer too?
Answer: We can! As a bonus, we’re not just throwing out that gorgeous liquid after it simmers; we’re drinking it! Well… straining it first. This simmer pot is perfect and adaptable based on the fruits and herbs you have on hand during the spring and summer months. I packed mine full of pineapple, strawberries, mango, rhubarb, ginger, lemon, coconut, and, of course, a handful of fresh herbs like mint and basil.
Now we can have drinkable simmer pots – aka homemade fruit punch – all year round! To make these even more perfect for the warm weather, we’re adding in a little bit of honey (local is ideal to help with allergies, depending on where you live) and salt, to pack in those electrolytes that we’re likely sweating off in the heat.
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WHAT IS A SIMMER POT?
Simply put, a simmer pot is a large pot filled with a variety of aromatics like fruit, spices, and herbs, brought to a simmer over the stove and left to perfume your home with all those yummy scents. Oftentimes, simmer pots, though they can be reheated on and off for many days, are discarded once the smells run out. Not this one though!
This is a drinkable simmer pot which will turn into a delicious homemade fruit punch once strained and chilled. While I’ve always known of fruit punch, I recently learned that this is also a popular Eastern European drink called kompot. Whatever you call it, you can’t beat these fruity flavors that make for a delicious juice, base for a mocktail, or even can be turned into an alcoholic beverage.
What fruits can be used in a simmer pot? Your choice depending on what’s in season, though you can also use some frozen fruit if you’d like. I’d recommend choosing a balance of fruits with deep flavors as well as a mix of sweet and sour.
INGREDIENTS
- Water: Cold, so the flavors have more time to infuse as they heat up in the pot
- Fruit: I used a mixture of strawberries, lemon, rhubarb, mango, and pineapple
- Coconut: Flakes to add that tropical vibe
- Ginger: For some spicy goodness
- Salt: To pack in those electrolytes, perfect for warm weather days
- Honey: Use local honey if you have it to combat allergies
- Fresh Herbs: I went for basil and mint
Do I need to peel my fruits for a simmer pot? Since we’re going to strain and drink this, I recommend peeling most fruits. Keep in mind that parts of the peel – like the pith, or white part, of an orange- can be bitter. But if you’re just adding a few slices, I wouldn’t worry about it. I peel my mango and cut off the outside of the pineapple, but for my strawberries, I simply pluck off the stems.
HOW TO MAKE A SPRING & SUMMER SIMMER POT
In a large pot, add everything except your fresh herbs and cover with cold water, leaving about an inch of space from the top of the pot. Place your pot on the stove over high heat and bring it to a boil.
Reduce your heat to low once the liquid is boiling, and simmer for 90 minutes. This will give your fruit plenty of time to infuse the water, transferring over all the delicious flavors. Once simmered, remove your pot from the heat and stir in your fresh basil and mint leaves. Leave everything in to cool and steep for 25 minutes before straining out.
While your liquid is still warm, add in your honey and salt, stirring until dissolved. Place in a pitcher in the fridge to cool before serving over ice with any fresh fruit or herbs as garnish!
3 reasons you’ll love this fruit punch
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- For an even deeper flavor, allow your simmered fruit and herbs to steep in the warm liquid until it has cooled completely. This will give them even more time to infuse your punch. Once cooled, strain and place back on the stove to reheat before stirring in your salt and honey until dissolved
- To add more herb essence to your punch, you can place your fresh basil and mint leaves into your pot in the last 10-15 minutes of simmering. Or, you can add your herbs to a bowl and muddle them with a spoon (aka squish them around to start breaking them down), add a ladle of the hot simmering liquid, stir, and return all to the large pot of liquid and give a final stir. By breaking up the herbs, they should release more flavor into the pot
- You can swap in any fruit that you like, or cut down the number of fruits and only do a few, but with a higher quantity of each. There are so many delicious fruits to choose from in the warmer weather months, so the options are endless!
- To level up the coconut flavor, swap out some of the plain water for coconut water! This will also pack even more electrolytes into this fruit punch. If you do this, I’d recommend tasting your liquid before adding in the extra salt and adjusting as needed.
- This recipe uses just ½ teaspoon of salt for 8 cups of liquid. It’s just the right amount in my opinion, for those electrolytes, but feel free to add more if you prefer a saltier taste.
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
Once strained and placed into a pitcher, your homemade fruit punch can be kept in the fridge for up to five days!
You can also pour it into a container or ice cube trays to store in the freezer for 4-6 months! Perfect for cooling down a drink without watering it down or popping it in a blender to make a slushie.
MORE WARM WEATHER RECIPES
These One-Bowl Lemon Shortbread Bars are an easy summer treat with just the right tart-sweet balance. If you love strawberries, this Chamomile Strawberry Shortcake combines a light, almost angel-food-like floral cake with fresh whipped cream and strawberries on top. Want something simple to spread on toast? Try this Peach & Mint Compote!
Equipment
- 5-Quart Pot
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Large Strainer
- Spoon
- Large Bowl
- Pitcher
- Drinking Glasses
Ingredients
- 12 cups cold water
- 2 cups halved strawberries
- 1 lemon sliced
- 1 7 ” stick rhubarb
- 1 mango cut into four chunks (skin removed)
- ½ whole pineapple cut into big chunks (skin removed)
- ½ cup coconut flakes
- 2 inches ginger sliced
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup fresh basil
- ½ cup fresh mint
Instructions
- Add your fruit, coconut, and ginger to a 5-quart pot and cover with cold water. Place your pot over high heat on the stove and bring to a boil
- Once your water is boiling, reduce to low and simmer for a minimum of 90 minutes
- Remove from heat and stir in basil and mint leaves, leave to steep for 25 minutes. Strain out your liquid and stir in the salt and honey, mixing until dissolved
- Pour into a pitcher or your preferred drinking container and place in the fridge for a few hours to chill
- Serve over ice and garnish with extra fruit and herbs
