Step 1: Gather all your ingredients: sliced oranges, fresh cranberries, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise pods, and fresh rosemary sprigs.
Step 2: Place all the collected ingredients into a medium-sized saucepan or a small slow cooker.
Step 3: Pour 4-6 cups of water into the pot, ensuring all ingredients are fully submerged. Leave a small space at the top to prevent boiling over.
Step 4: If using a stovetop, place the pot over low heat and bring it to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting to maintain a slow, steady release of aroma.
Step 5: If using a slow cooker, set it to the 'low' setting and allow it to warm up.
Step 6: Allow the pot to simmer, filling your home with festive aromas. This can take 15-30 minutes to become noticeable.
Step 7: Regularly check the water level (hourly for stovetop, every few hours for slow cooker). As water evaporates, carefully add more hot water to continue the simmering process.
Step 8: The ingredients can be re-used for 1-2 days. Simply add fresh water each time you want to reactivate the Christmas Simmer Pot. Discard ingredients after two days or once the fragrance diminishes.