Why it works: Clove and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,189 recipes. Both carry ethyl cinnamate, which smells sweet, balsamic. The science ↓
Grape Catsup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the grapes
Boil nine pounds of grapes until soft.
Rub the grapes through a colander to remove skins.
Cook the ketchup
Add six pounds of brown sugar and boil until thick.
Add three pints of vinegar, one tablespoonful each of cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and black pepper.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Allspice | 1 tsp ground (1.9g) | 5 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
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.
-
Clove + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,189 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
-
Clove + allspicetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together7,874 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Cinnamon + allspicetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,536 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Allspice + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,395 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Grapes
- Provides the fruit pulp that forms the ketchup's body and base flavor.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and, as water boils off, helps the mixture thicken and darken.
- Vinegar
- Adds sharp acidity that balances the sweetness and sharpens the flavor.
- Cloves
- Contributes warm, aromatic spice notes.
The step that matters
Boil until thick after adding the brown sugar. Boiling must continue after the sugar is added until the mixture thickens. Water evaporating concentrates the sugar and pulp, so it thickens as it cools. Stopping too early leaves it thin; over-boiling can scorch the bottom.
Swap the grape
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, clove, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, pepper):
- Limefits better
- Orangefits better
- Lemonfits better
- Grapethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, clove, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, 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
Raspberry Vinegar214 recipes
Sugar Vinegar20 recipes
Grape Frappe10 recipes
Cinnamon Tincture10 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.