Why it works: Sugar and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 20,806 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
White Candy
Ingredients
Directions
Make the candy
Take one quart of granulated sugar, one pint of water, and two tablespoonfuls of vinegar.
Boil as you do molasses candy, but do not stir it.
You can tell when it is done by trying it in cold water.
Pull and set
Pull it; have a dish nearby with some vanilla in it, and work in enough to flavor it as you pull.
Put it in a cold room and the next day you will have delicious candy.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| 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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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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
- Granulated sugar
- Forms the bulk of the candy and sets into a firm, sweet texture as it cooks.
- Vinegar
- Adds a little acidity that helps keep the sugar from crystallizing too readily.
The step that matters
Boil without stirring. Stirring a boiling sugar syrup can trigger sugar crystals to form, leaving the candy grainy instead of smooth. Letting it boil undisturbed keeps the syrup clear and helps it set evenly.
“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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