Why it works: Pineapple and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 19% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,841 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Pineapple Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point. The book gives no cooking times either; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Make the filling
In a bowl, mix the pineapple, cracker crumbs, sugar, and water.
Beat the eggs and add them to the mixture, combining well.
Pour the mixture into a pie crust.
Top and bake
Beat the reserved egg whites until stiff and spread them on top of the pie.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden.
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.
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Pineapple + sugartop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,841 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Pineapple + eggtop 29% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,075 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Pineapple
- Provides the main fruit flavor and moisture that fills the pie.
- Eggs
- Bind the filling and help it set as it bakes.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and helps balance the pineapple's tartness.
- Fine cracker crumbs
- Absorb excess juice and help thicken the filling.
The step that matters
Spreading the beaten egg whites on top. Whites beaten until stiff hold their shape and form a foam that browns lightly in the oven. If they are under-beaten they can weep or sink into the filling.
Swap the pineapple
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, egg):
- Vanillafits better
- Raisinfits better
- Lemonfits better
- Pineapplethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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.
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