Why it works: Tarragon and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,547 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Flavored Vinegars
Ingredients
Directions
Infuse
Place the herbs in a clean jar.
Pour the vinegar over the herbs.
Seal the jar and let it sit for 10 days.
Finish
Strain the mixture to remove the herbs.
Bottle the flavored vinegar for use.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Tarragon + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,547 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Herbs (in the method)
- Supply the aromatic flavor that passes into the vinegar during steeping.
- Sharp vinegar
- Acidic liquid that draws out the herbs' flavor and gives the finished vinegar its sharp taste.
The step that matters
Seal the jar and let it sit for 10 days. Flavor moves from the herbs into the vinegar slowly over time. Straining too early leaves the vinegar weakly flavored, so the full resting period matters.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.
Raspberry Vinegar214 recipes
Sugar Vinegar20 recipes
Vegetable Soup350 recipes
Brown Coffee with Egg175 recipes