Why it works: Mustard and onion match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,259 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
French Chow Chow
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the vegetables
Select 1 quart large green cucumbers, cut into small pieces.
Select 1 quart cucumbers, 2 inches long or less.
Select 1 quart green tomatoes, sliced or cut into bits.
Select 1 large cauliflower, divided into tinned flowerets.
Select 4 large green peppers, cut into coarse bits.
When ready, put the vegetables in a weak brine, a cup of salt to a gallon of water. Soak the pickles twenty-four hours.
Scald in the same brine and drain.
Make the paste
Make a paste of 6 tablespoons ground mustard, 1 cup turmeric, 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 2 quarts vinegar. Mix the dry ingredients with a little of the vinegar, then add the remainder of the vinegar.
Let this mixture scald, and stir until a smooth thick paste, then add the pickles and it is done.
If one likes the flavor of onions, add 6 small onions to improve it.
Finish and store
This chow chow is excellent the day after it is made, but better in a month of time. Put in jar.
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 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | 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.
-
Mustard + oniontop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,259 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Mustard + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,430 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
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
- Ground mustard
- Adds sharp, pungent flavor that defines the chow chow's character.
- Vinegar
- Provides acidity that preserves the vegetables and gives the sauce its tang.
- Flour (in the method)
- Thickens the mustard paste so it becomes smooth and clinging.
- Sugar (in the method)
- Balances the sharpness of the vinegar and mustard with sweetness.
- Turmeric (in the method)
- Gives the paste its yellow colour and a mild earthy flavour.
- Salt brine
- Draws water out of the vegetables and seasons them before scalding.
The step that matters
Letting the paste scald while stirring. Flour thickens only when heated and stirred, and stirring keeps it from lumping or scorching. Cooking it fully makes the paste smooth before the vegetables are added.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mustard, vinegar, pepper):
- Horseradishfits better
- Radishfits better
- Lettucefits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against mustard, vinegar, 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.
More chow chow recipes
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 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.