Why it works: Sugar and lemon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 53,532 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Raspberry Jam
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare
Combine raspberries and lemon juice in a large pot.
Mash the raspberries slightly with a potato masher.
Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
Cook and jar
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
Boil for 10-15 minutes until the jam thickens.
Pour into sterilized jars and seal while hot.
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.
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Sugar + lemontop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together53,532 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 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
- Provide the main fruit flavor and bulk of the jam's body.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the jam and helps it set as it thickens, while preserving it.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens flavor and helps the jam set.
The step that matters
Boil until the jam thickens. Jam sets as pectin, acid and sugar concentrate during boiling. Boiling too briefly leaves it runny, while overcooking can make it stiff and sugary once cooled.
“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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