Why it works: Cinnamon and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,189 recipes. Both carry ethyl cinnamate, which smells sweet, balsamic. The science ↓
Watermelon Rind Pickles
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the rind
Cut watermelon rind into 2- x 1-inch pieces. Trim green skin and pink flesh from rind.
Place prepared rind in large kettle and add salt and enough boiling water to cover. Simmer until tender.
Drain and chill rind in very cold water at least 1 hour or overnight in refrigerator.
Make the syrup and cook
Combine vinegar, sugar and mixture of cinnamon, cloves and gingerroot tied in cheesecloth. Bring to boil and boil 5 minutes.
Drain watermelon rind and add to syrup.
Simmer until rind becomes translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard spices.
Jar and process
Pack rind and syrup into hot sterilized quart jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space.
Adjust lids and process in boiling water bath 20 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Watermelon | 1 cup diced (152g) | 46 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 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.
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.
-
Cinnamon + clovetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,189 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
-
Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Vinegar + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Vinegar + clovetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,386 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Vinegar + cinnamontop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,187 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (smoky, clove).
Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 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
- Watermelon rind
- Forms the pickle itself, becoming tender and translucent as it cooks in the syrup.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the pickle and, with the vinegar, builds the syrup that preserves the rind.
- White vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens the flavor and helps keep the pickles preserved.
- Cinnamon sticks
- Provides warm aroma that flavors the syrup and rind.
- Whole cloves
- Adds spicy aroma that flavors the syrup and rind.
The step that matters
Simmer the rind until translucent. Cooking the rind in syrup until translucent lets it absorb sugar and flavor. Undercooked rind stays firm and opaque, while overcooking can make it soft and mushy.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, sugar, cinnamon):
- Allspicefits about as well
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Clovethe original
- Cardamomfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, sugar, cinnamon. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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