Why it works: Peach and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,308 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Peach Sweetmeats
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Pare the peaches.
Layer the peaches and sugar in a bowl, cover, and let stand overnight.
Cook
The next day, boil the mixture over low heat until it drops from the spoon, stirring often to prevent burning and removing scum as it rises. Boil for 1.5 to 2 hours.
Store
Place in a stone or glass jar, cover with brandied paper, close tightly, and store in a cool, dry place.
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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Peach + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,308 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Peaches
- Provide the fruit base, with flavour and body that soften and thicken as they cook.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the fruit and draws out moisture, helping the mixture thicken into a preserve.
The step that matters
Boiling until it drops from the spoon. Sugar concentrates as water evaporates, so the mixture must cook long enough to reach a thick, set consistency. Stirring often prevents the sugar from scorching on the bottom of the pan.
“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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