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Give Your Home a Festive Scent with a Slow Cooker Holiday Simmer

Every year I purchase inexpensive mulling spices from a kitchen store and simmer them all season long on the stovetop. Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, I put these spices on, and my children instantly know the holiday’s are approaching. Last year, I tried using the slow cooker and it truly made my house smell as magical as the season. And it’s easy.

There are a lot of variations to this “recipe” and you can swap out many things, like citrus and cinnamon for nutmeg and cranberries. I have clipped rosemary and mixed in some star anise. Follow our suggestions below or experiment with your own recipe.

I like letting this mixture simmer in the slow cooker rather than on my gas stovetop. Just remember to turn it off before going to bed (or program it, if you have a programmable slow cooker).

Slow Cooker Holiday Simmer

Author: Hamilton Beach Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 container (64 oz.) apple juice
  • 1 naval orange, sliced
  • 1 lime, halved
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 star anise
  • 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (3-inch) piece evergreen

Instructions

  1. In a slow cooker crock, stir together apple juice, orange slices, lime, cinnamon sticks, anise, ginger, cloves and vanilla extract. Top with evergreen.
  2. Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour or LOW 2 hours.
  3. Remove lid and continue cooking on HIGH 3 hours or LOW 4 hours.

Notes

This is not an edible recipe. Let mixture cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight or several days. To Reheat: Place crock in your slow cooker on HIGH or LOW to reheat.

The Wrap & Serve™ Slow Cooker includes five unique wraps, and the control knob is on the side of the slow cooker so you can show off your favorite pattern. It is large enough to cook a 6 lb. chicken or 4 lb. roast, perfect for family dinners, parties or other large gatherings. The oval-shaped stoneware crock is versatile for an assortment of foods. Simply place the ingredients in the crock, set the desired temperature, and go. No watching or stirring required. The dishwasher safe ceramic crock and lid make cleanup a breeze.

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Comments

  1. I just bought your 8 qt slow cooker (model #33183) and was disappointed it did not have the travel bag with it because we have a lot of pot lucks at work. I immediately went online to purchase one only to find out that it is out of stock. Do you know when it will be available? My old crock had one and found it to be so useful. Thanks.

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