When the air is chilly, there’s nothing like an inviting smell wafting through your home. While candles and diffusers are great to add fragrance to one room, mulling spices create a much deeper scent that impacts your entire home. And when you’re having guests over for dinner or a party, mulling spices are a perfect way to set the tone for a cozy evening.

Here are five of our favorite recipes we hope you’ll enjoy, but before making any of these recipes, there are a few key points to keep in mind:

1. Mulling spices tend to ruin the pots for regular cooking after, so pick up an inexpensive large pot to use just for your creations from a store such as Target.
2. If you’re in a hurry to activate the scent, turn the heat up to high and reduce the heat to simmer once it starts to boil.
3. Check in on your pot every hour or so and add more water. There should always be at least 3 inches of water to reduce the risk of burning the spices.
4. Keep your mulling spices on the rear burner to avoid the risk of children or pets being injured. These pots become very hot.
5. These recipes are for fragrance only; not drinking.
6. Allow mulling spices to cool completely before disposal.

Fall Comfort

6 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup cinnamon

6 oranges, sliced thin with the peel on

12 cups water

Place ingredients into a mulling spice pot and add liquids. Simmer, adding additional water as needed.

Brightness of Fall

8 lemons, sliced thin with the peel on

2 limes, sliced thin with peel on

1 cup allspice berries

1/4 cup ginger

12 cups water

Place ingredients into a mulling spice pot and add liquids. Simmer, adding additional water as needed.

Sweet Pumpkin

1/4 cup pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup cinnamon

1 tablespoon nutmeg

1 cup brown sugar

12 cups water

Place ingredients into a mulling spice pot and add liquids. Simmer, adding additional water as needed.

Orchard Bouquet

6 oranges, sliced thin with the peel on

8 whole cloves, grated

16-ounce bottle apple cider vinegar

8 cups of water

Place ingredients into a mulling spice pot and add liquids. Simmer, adding additional water as needed.

Season’s Spice

1/4 cup ground cardamom

1/4 cup star anise

1/2 cup all spice

12 cups water

Place ingredients into a mulling spice pot and add liquids. Simmer, adding additional water as needed.

The only thing better than walking into a home that smells great is living in a quality-built home designed to fit your family’s needs and lifestyle. Our focus at Wieland Builders remains to build beautiful custom homes for our clients on our lots or theirs in Southwest Ohio, Southeast Indiana and Northern Kentucky. Call us today for a free consultation at 513-801-0860. For more great tips and our latest updates, sign up for our e-newsletter, or check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Houzz, LinkedIn or Pinterest.