Why it works: Garlic and onion 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 ↓
Tomato Ketchup
Ingredients
Directions
Make the ketchup
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes.
Store
Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 2 months.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Malt | not in our table | 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.
-
Garlic + oniontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Tomato + garlictop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Tomato + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Vinegar + garlictop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,115 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Vinegar + oniontop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,226 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomato paste
- Provides the thick body and concentrated tomato flavour of the ketchup.
- Malt vinegar
- Adds acidity that gives the ketchup its sharp, tangy bite.
- Garlic powder
- Contributes savoury aroma that rounds out the tomato flavour.
- Onion powder
- Adds savoury, sweet-toned aroma that deepens the overall flavour.
The step that matters
Boiling and cooking for 15 minutes. Tomato paste is thick and can scorch on the bottom of the pan at medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, the mixture thickens as water evaporates, and scorching gives a bitter, burnt taste.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (malt, vinegar, garlic, onion):
- Mustardfits better
- Broccolifits better
- Potatofits better
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against malt, vinegar, garlic, onion. 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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