Name: Pickled Beets
Ingredients: 2 - 1 lb cans sliced beets (or equivalent in fresh cooked & sliced); 2 tblsp vinegar; salt & pepper; 1 onion thinly sliced.

Why it works: Pepper and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 68,474 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Pickled Beets

Timea few hours

Ingredients

2 - 1 lb cans sliced beets (or equivalent in fresh cooked & sliced)
2 tblsp vinegar
salt & pepper
1 onion thinly sliced.

Directions

Place sliced beets in a large flat bowl with the cooking liquid.
Add 2 tablespoons vinegar, salt, and pepper, then mix together.
Let set in the refrigerator for a few hours; can be made ahead and stored in a canning jar, use within a week.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

88Calories

3 gProtein

0 gFat

20 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 5 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Beet	1/2 cup (85g)	35
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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 their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together68,474 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Vinegar + oniontop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together18,226 recipes

Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Vinegar + peppertop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together27,814 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Beets: Provide the main body and sweet, earthy flavor of the dish.
Vinegar: Adds acidity that gives the pickled flavor and helps preserve the beets.