Why it works: Cabbage and mustard match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,645 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Piccadilli Pickles
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Chop one head of cabbage, one dozen cucumbers, one dozen green peppers, one dozen white onions, and one-half peck of green tomatoes.
Combine and cook
Combine the chopped vegetables with one-half cup of mixed spices, one-fourth pound of mustard seed, one teaspoon of sugar, and one cup of salt.
Let the mixture cook for two hours.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Broccoli | 1 cup chopped (156g) | 55 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Seed | 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.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
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.
-
Cabbage + mustardtop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,645 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Cabbage + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,081 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Mustard + oniontop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,259 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Cabbage + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,001 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Mustard + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,430 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cabbage
- Forms the bulk of the relish and gives it a firm, crisp texture.
- Cucumbers (in the method)
- Adds crunch and fresh moisture to the mixture.
- Green tomatoes
- Adds tartness and body to the relish.
- White onions
- Adds sharp savour and aroma as they cook down.
- Mustard seed
- Provides pungent, sharp flavour that carries through the cooked relish.
- Mixed spices
- Adds warm aroma and depth of flavour.
The step that matters
Combining the vegetables with salt. Salt draws water out of the vegetables by osmosis, which softens them and concentrates their flavour. Too much cooking after this can leave the vegetables limp, so the timing matters.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cabbage, mustard, pepper):
- Horseradishfits better
- Broccolifits better
- Lettucefits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against cabbage, mustard, pepper. 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.
You might also like
Red Cabbage65 recipes
Stewed Cabbage58 recipes
Baked Cabbage51 recipes
Cabbage Dressing19 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.