Season's Scents and How They Affect Us

Season's Scents and How they Affect Us

When you think of the winter, what scents come to mind?  Think about it.  The spicy scents are what we crave.  The scent of warm cinnamon, and clove.  And the fresh bright smell of pine wafting in the air or the citrus scent of oranges seems very festive and bright.  Why are these scents associated with winter?

Sri Lanka is the world’s largest exporter of cinnamon, responsible for 80% and it comes from the bark of the tree. This small evergreen, Native to Sri Lanka, Cinnamomum zeylanicum is the tree that produces true cinnamon.   Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. We use the rhizome of the plant in cooking, tea and in medicines, and India accounts for over 33% of the world's production of it.  Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice.  Indonesia accounts for over 70% of the world's production.  Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from that seed, of several tree species of the genus Myristica; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices.  Indonesia is the world's largest exporter of this spice.  So why do we crave them so much when winter comes around?  Well, the scents are warming, and that could have something to do with it.  Some might say it harkens back to a time when we didn't have good refrigeration to help keep food.  Spices could be used to preserve, help the taste, and help our digestive systems in winter.

The scent of pine is easier to figure out.  It encourages deep breathing, helps to kill bacteria and purifies the air (important during winter as we are closed inside more), and the scent is stress-relieving and makes us feel energized.  So, by bringing in branches of pine during the holidays, we can say that the scent actually helps us to feel better.  The sunny scent of orange essential oil can actually ease depression and anxiety.  The scent of oranges makes us feel sunny and happy.  Often on gloomy days that is exactly what is needed, a little pick-me-up. 

Scents evoke strong memories, especially during the holidays where we often have our traditions and certain foods we serve.  This serves to comfort us.  My favorite scent combination happens to be orange and clove bud.  I usually get prepared in fall by making several bottles of this scent as a room refresher for the cold season.   It is a warming and uplifting scent.  And I have my special foods during this time too.   A special treat for Christmas morning in our house was always toast and butter, topped with Mom's special Orange Marmalade.  Of course there was hot chocolate, coffee for the adults, and orange juice too for that extra boost of vitamin C.  She made breakfast easy, mainly because we all wanted to get to the presents under the tree.  But oooh how that marmalade made simple toast oh so special.    Perhaps you would like to add this simple tradition to your mix?  She always used the recipe from Sure-Jell and I share it here:

Orange Marmalade (makes 7 cups and takes 2 weeks to set) --- from Sure-Jell recipe

4 cups prepared fruit (buy about 4 medium oranges and 2 medium lemons)
2-1/2 cups water
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin
1/2 tsp butter or margarine
5-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

Step 1

Bring boiling-water canner, half full of water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.

Step 2

Remove colored part of peel from oranges and lemons using vegetable peeler. Cut into thin slivers. Mix the peels, water and baking soda in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 20 min., stirring occasionally. Add the fruit and juice. Cover and simmer an additional 10 min. Measure exactly 4 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot.

Step 3

Stir pectin into prepared fruit in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Step 4

Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches; add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed, and refrigeration is necessary.)