Why it works: Cider and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,431 recipes. Both carry 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol, which smells smoky, clove. The science ↓
Raspberry Vinegar
Ingredients
Directions
Make the mixture
Combine the mashed raspberries, cider vinegar, and sugar in a bowl.
Mix well and let it sit in the sun for 4 hours.
Strain the mixture and squeeze out the juice.
Add the brandy and seal in air-tight bottles.
Store and serve
Store the bottles on their sides in a cool cellar, covered with sawdust.
To serve, pour 2 tablespoons of raspberry vinegar into a glass of ice water.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
-
Cider + vinegartop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,431 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (smoky, clove).
-
Cider + brandytop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together404 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (smoky, clove).
-
Vinegar + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Vinegar + brandytop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together344 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Sugar + brandytop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together11,939 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Sugar and brandy barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 11,939 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Raspberries
- Supply the main fruit flavour and colour, and their juice forms the body of the vinegar.
- Cider vinegar
- Provides the sharp acidity that gives the drink its tang and helps preserve the fruit.
- White sugar
- Balances the acidity and adds sweetness to the finished syrup-like concentrate.
- Brandy
- Adds alcohol that helps preserve the vinegar and contributes aroma.
The step that matters
Letting the mixture sit in the sun. Sitting in sun for hours lets sugar and acid draw juice out of the raspberries and blend their flavours. Leaving it too long or in a warm place risks fermentation or spoilage, so the mixture should be checked and kept covered.
“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.
More raspberry vinegar recipes
You might also like
Sugar Vinegar20 recipes
Apple Cider11 recipes
Vegetable Soup350 recipes
Brown Coffee with Egg175 recipesThe 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.