Why it works: Cinnamon and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and 14,027 recipes mention both. Both carry ethyl cinnamate, which smells sweet, balsamic. The science ↓
The recipe
Ingredients
Contains: milk, tree nuts (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Also mentioned in the method: cream, cheese
Directions
Make the chutney
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add remaining ingredients; return to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until apples are tender.
Cool and store
Pour into a glass mixing bowl (acid foods can react with metal bowls).
Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on chutney.
Cool to room temperature; then refrigerate overnight, covered with plastic wrap, so flavors blend.
Serve
Serve at room temperature.
Use as an accompaniment to meats such as turkey or use as a sandwich spread with bagels plain or with a layer of cream cheese.
This recipe comes from the Recipes Wiki on Fandom and is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Our formatting and summaries are shared under the same licence.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Cinnamon + clovetop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together14,027 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
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Allspice + clovetop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together7,711 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Allspice + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together5,536 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Ginger + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together6,380 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Ginger + clovetop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together5,171 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cranberries
- Provide the tart base and bulk of the chutney, and set its texture as they break down.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the chutney and balances the sharpness of the cranberries and vinegar.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavor and helps balance the sweetness.
- Raisins
- Add chewy texture and concentrated sweetness as they soften in the simmering liquid.
- Apples
- Add body and soft pieces to the chutney as they cook until tender.
The step that matters
Simmer until the apples are tender. Simmering concentrates the sugar and fruit and softens the apple pieces. Stopping too early leaves firm apple and a thin, unblended sauce, while overcooking can turn the fruit mushy and the chutney overly thick as it cools.
Flavor stand-ins for the raisin
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, vinegar, apple, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, clove):
- Orangebetter flavor fit
- Pearbetter flavor fit
- Plumbetter flavor fit
- Raisinthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, vinegar, apple, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, clove. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
“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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