By Olivia Eiken | Staff Writer
I’m from the Midwest, where the holiday spirit comes early in October when the temperature drops to the low 40s and the leaves start to change color. My mother always celebrated the change of weather by putting potpourri on the stovetop to simmer all day and fill our home with the smell of oranges, cranberries, rosemary and spices.
A typical potpourri is a mixture of fruits, dried herbs and spices placed in a small sack to perfume anything from a piece of clothing to a whole room. I have recreated a version of it on a college student budget that can easily be made into six to eight individual gifts.
Ingredients and supplies
- Rosemary
- Dried cinnamon apples
- Dried cranberries
- Clove
- Allspice
- Cinnamon sticks
- Canning jar and lid
- Twine
- Optional: Fresh apples and oranges
Note: It’s important to not put fresh fruit in the jars if you plan on gifting them later because of the possibility of mold.
Assembling the jar
Measure each of the dried ingredients with your heart. There is no correct amount; just put as much or as little as you would like.
I jazz it up with a bit of homemade flair by making a handwritten tag for the outside. Small touches like that really add to the thoughtfulness of the gift.
Making the potpourri
Bring water to a boil on the stove, and then immediately turn the burner down to low. Slice up a whole orange and half an apple to add to the pot along with the spices, dried apples, cranberries and herbs.
Immediately, the room will be filled with a spiced holiday aroma. You can leave the pot simmering on low all day, and the smell will be just as potent as it is in the beginning.
I purchased all of the ingredients and supplies from H-E-B, with my total coming to $44. If I split that among six separate gifts, the total for each would only be a little over $7. Potpourri makes a great, easy gift for that professor you really enjoyed having this semester and the friends you made along the way — especially if you’re ballin’ on a budget.
