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 ↓
De Rhubarbe
Ingredients
Directions
Place the rhubarb in a colander to drain.
In a pot, combine the rhubarb and sugar, and cook over heat without adding water.
After about ten days, check the preserves and cover them properly.
Cut thin circles of paper, leaving a tab for easy removal.
Soak each paper circle in brandy before placing it on top of the preserves.
Ensure the paper does not extend over the edge of the jar.
Cover the entire jar with a second piece of paper, labeling it with the type of preserve and the year made.
Fill the jars completely to account for evaporation.
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
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