Why it works: Rhubarb and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,852 recipes. Both carry 1-penten-3-one, which smells fish, pungent. The science ↓
Canned Rhubarb
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash the rhubarb.
Drain the rhubarb.
Layer the rhubarb and brown sugar in self-sealing jars.
Fill the jars as full as possible.
Seal and cook
Screw on the covers tightly.
Place the jars in a boiler of cold water up to the neck.
Boil steadily for 2 to 3 hours until the rhubarb is cooked and has reduced by one-third.
Remove the jars from the boiler.
Top up and finish
Use contents from 2 or 3 jars to fill the others.
Replace the covers immediately and screw tight.
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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Rhubarb + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,852 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Rhubarb
- Provides the main bulk and tart flavour, and softens into a soft, cooked texture when boiled.
- Light brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and a molasses note that balances the rhubarb's tartness.
The step that matters
Boil steadily until the rhubarb has reduced by one-third. Holding a steady boil for the full 2 to 3 hours cooks the rhubarb through and drives off water so it thickens. Under-cooking leaves it firm and watery, and the jars may not seal properly.
“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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