06/21/2025
Having birds doesn’t mean you that you can’t enjoy a pleasant smelling house – it just means that you have to create aromas in a smarter, safer way using common sense.
There is no end to the combinations of fruits, extracts, spices and herbs you can use to make your house smell like a slice of heaven. Individual tastes and experimentation will help you arrive at the perfect one.
Here are some of our favorite aromatics for simmer pots. Just to name a few:
• Cranberries
• Rosemary
• Bay Leaves
• Eucalyptus
• Pear
• Basil
• Black Peppercorns
• Citrus peels
• Vanilla extract/ Vanilla beans
• Coconut extract
• Clove
• Star Anise Pods
• Cardamon Pods
• Rose petals (Check to make sure they are pesticide free)
• Apples
• Ginger
• Mint
• Pumpkin Pie Spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, cardamon)
• Nutmeg
Apple Pie Spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and occasionally cardamom)
•Cinnamon (For consumption of Cinnamon, avoid Saigon or Korintje cinnamon, both of which are varieties of Cassia cinnamon. Only Cinnamomum verum, also called true cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon is safe for birds)
While simmer pot recipes can enhance your home's ambiance and are generally safe for parrots, it's crucial to remember the following precautions:
1. Use only parrot-safe ingredients in your simmer pot recipes. Avoid using essential oils or toxic substances.
2 Keep a close eye on the simmer pot to prevent it from boiling dry, which can release harmful fumes.
3. Ensure your parrot is located away from the simmer pot to avoid direct exposure to the steam and hot stove.
4. Use parrot safe pots and pans. Do not use any pots that are advertised as non-stick or contain PFAS or PFOA chemicals as these can be deadly to birds when heated.
Here are some simple, yet fragrant recipes:
FALL AND CHRISTMAS SCENTS:
Apple Spice: 1 tablespoon of cloves, 3 cinnamon sticks, 1 apple sliced into wedges and 1 cup of cranberries.
Winter Wonderful: Peel of one orange, 2 teaspoons dried nutmeg, I teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 cinnamon sticks, and two 1″ thick slices of ginger (for a variation, add a 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract).
Pine Forest: 1 sliced lemon, and a handful of fresh pine needles.
SPRING AND SUMMER SCENTS:
Italian Spring: 1 sliced lemon, 1 handful of basil sprigs, 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns
Island Getaway: 1 tablespoon of coconut extract and 2 sliced limes.
I personally use Cloves and Cinnamon ❤️
