Why it works: Pepper and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,451 recipes. Both carry ethyl octanoate, which smells fruity, wine. The science ↓
Currant Soy
Ingredients
Directions
Combine five pounds currant pulp, three pounds sugar, one pint vinegar, one tablespoon black pepper, one-half tablespoon cloves, and two teaspoons salt; spice more if desired.
Put the currants through a sieve.
Boil the mixture 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Currant | 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.
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Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Currant + vinegartop 13% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together693 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, pear).
-
Vinegar + peppertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Currant + clovetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,038 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
-
Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Currant pulp
- Forms the body of the preserve and provides the fruit flavor and natural pectin.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and, as it concentrates during boiling, helps the preserve thicken and set.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that balances the sweetness and brightens the fruit flavor.
- Cloves
- Contributes a warm, aromatic spice flavor.
The step that matters
Boil the mixture for two hours. A long boil drives off water and concentrates the sugar and fruit, so the preserve thickens. Boiling too briefly leaves it runny, while sugar and acid together help it set as it cools.
Swap the currant
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, vinegar, pepper, clove):
- Cherryfits better
- Lemonfits better
- Limefits better
- Currantthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, vinegar, pepper, clove. 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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