After orange peels and rosemary, another kitchen scrap is being passed around as a home scent: tangerine peels simmered in a pot of water with a couple of cinnamon sticks. The U.S. edition of El Cronista has shared the recipe several times, in different versions. Here’s what it does, how to make it last, and what it won’t do.
In short
- Simmer the peels of a few tangerines with 2 cinnamon sticks in about 1 liter (4 cups) of water, uncovered, for 15 minutes on low heat.
- Its use is simple: it fills the house with a warm citrus and spice scent.
- Keep the heat low, top up the water and never leave the pot unattended.
- It scents the air for a while, but it doesn’t remove the source of a bad smell.
What it’s for
El Cronista’s U.S. edition presents it as an inexpensive, homemade way to scent the house: citrus peels combined with spices like cinnamon, it says, let you perfume any room “without spending a lot.” The recipe is uncovered on purpose, and the newspaper suggests leaving interior doors open “so the aroma spreads through the whole home.”
It’s the same idea as the classic orange and cinnamon pot, with a sweeter, softer citrus note. Clemson University’s extension service lists cinnamon sticks and orange slices among its favorite winter ingredients for simmer pots.
How to make it
- About 1 liter of water, roughly 4 cups, in a saucepan.
- The peels of a few tangerines. El Cronista leaves the amount up to you: more peel, stronger scent.
- 2 cinnamon sticks.
- Simmer uncovered on low heat for 15 minutes.
Once it has cooled, El Cronista suggests straining the liquid into a spray bottle and misting it on rugs, curtains and cushions. Test a hidden spot first, and if the smell or look of the liquid changes, throw it out, as El Cronista advises for its rosemary version.
How to make the scent last
Clemson Extension’s method for any simmer pot keeps the fragrance going for hours:
- Fill the pot one-half to two-thirds with water, bring it to a gentle simmer, then turn the heat to low and let it steam.
- Top up with fresh water to keep the ingredients submerged. One pot can last a few hours.
- Replace the peels after a few refills, when the scent fades and they turn mushy.
- Skip aluminum pans, which Clemson says “can affect the fragrance and quality of your blend.”
El Cronista also shares variations: tangerine with apple and cinnamon, with black pepper, with coffee, or with orange peels.
The limit
This is a scent, not a cleaner. The English edition of El Cronista, writing about a similar rosemary pot, notes that the smell fades once the heat is off, that the mixture does not remove the source of an odor, and that it shouldn’t be used to cover up persistent smells from mold, dampness or sewage. Safety comes first: Clemson says to “never leave it unattended,” and hot water and steam can burn, so keep the pot out of reach of children and pets.
Tangerine is the latest in a series of simmer pots our readers love, after orange peels with cinnamon, rosemary and cloves and lemon peels with ginger.
A few peels, two cinnamon sticks and low heat. That’s the trick.
