Why it works: Vinegar and sugar 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 ↓
Spiced Fruit
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit.
Let the mixture stand overnight.
Cook
Boil the juice, vinegar, and spices for fifteen minutes.
Add the fruit to the boiling mixture and boil for ten minutes.
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 |
| Fruit | 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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Vinegar + sugartop 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
- Fruit
- Provides the bulk, flavour and natural pectin that help the preserve set.
- Sugar
- Draws moisture out of the fruit and helps the preserve thicken and keep.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that balances the sweetness and helps preserve the fruit.
The step that matters
Boil the fruit for the full ten minutes. Boiling concentrates the syrup and lets the sugar and pectin reach the level needed for a firm set. Stopping early can leave a runny preserve that spoils sooner.
“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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