When we first started thinking about simmer mixes, we couldn't stop imagining all the different mix combinations we wanted to try. So as soon as our first three simmer mixes were released, we started thinking of the next three!
This process involved us dreaming up different mixes and then getting supplies to test the mixes. We test for a few things- to ensure the ingredients mixing together smell amazing, that the strength of the scent is enough, and that we love it! Some of the tests failed- not strong enough, scents didn't work good together and we pass on those mixes. Some of them we put aside to test another time, some we just say "no" and forget about it, and some we are stubborn about and want to find a way to make it work.
One of those stubborn mixes was "Be Delighted". We had an obsession with the William Sonoma signature scent, they simmer rosemary, vanilla extract and lemons. But adding the vanilla was tricky. Vanilla bean is very expensive and unless we used a lot of it, the scent wasn't strong enough. Vanilla extract smells lovely warmed up, but our mixes are all dried ingredients so a liquid would ruin the fruit before anyone got to enjoy it.
So we put our scientist hats on ( jk- we aren't scientists!) and worked on a solution. We created our own vanilla extract, used that to soak lemon slices, then dried them and viola- we got the vanilla for our Be Delighted! After we are happy with a mix, we get a group of 'professional' simmer testers to let us know and if they are as in love as we are then we know the mix is ready for you!