Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Cranberry Salsa
Ingredients
Directions
Make the salsa
Combine cranberries, lemon juice, onion, peppers and garlic and cook until cranberries are tender and falling apart.
Place in food processor and pulse with short bursts until mixture is coarsely puréed.
Season with salt and pepper.
Chill and serve
Let cool and refrigerate at least four hours before serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Jalapeno Pepper | 1 pepper (14g) | 4 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| 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.
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Jalapeno + garlictop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,700 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Pepper + garlictop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,090 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cranberries
- Cooking softens them and their pectin and acidity give the salsa body and a tart flavor.
- Jalapeno peppers
- Provide heat and a fresh, sharp pepper flavor that stands up to the tart fruit.
- White onion
- Adds sharp, savory depth and aroma that mellows during cooking.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavor and balances the sweetness of the cranberries.
The step that matters
Cook until the cranberries are tender and falling apart. Cranberries must be cooked fully so their skins break down and pectin releases. Undercooked berries stay firm and give a grainy, unevenly textured salsa.
Swap the jalapeno
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lemon, onion, pepper, clove, garlic):
- Thymefits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Marjoramfits better
- Jalapenothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against lemon, onion, pepper, clove, garlic. 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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