Why it works: Cider and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,431 recipes. Both carry 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol, which smells smoky, clove. The science ↓
Spiced Tomatoes
Ingredients
Directions
Stew the tomatoes
Combine two pounds of ripe tomatoes, one pound of brown sugar, half a pint of cider vinegar, one dozen cloves, and two dozen grains of allspice in a preserving kettle.
Stew the mixture over a slow fire.
When the tomatoes are nearly soft, remove them from the kettle and place them on a dish to cool, while continuing to boil the syrup slowly.
Thicken and seal
When the tomatoes are cool, return them to the syrup and boil until they are dark red.
Take the tomatoes out again, place them on a dish to cool, and continue boiling until the syrup is as thick as molasses.
When the tomatoes and syrup are both cool, transfer them to jars and seal tightly.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Cider | 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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Cider + vinegartop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,431 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (smoky, clove).
-
Tomato + clovetop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,474 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
-
Cider + clovetop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,683 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Vinegar + clovetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,386 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomatoes
- Form the body of the preserve and darken to a deep red as they cook.
- Brown sugar
- Sweetens the preserve and thickens the syrup as it boils down.
- Cider vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the sweetness and balances the flavour.
- Cloves
- Infuse the syrup with a warm, spicy aroma.
The step that matters
Cooling the tomatoes while the syrup boils. Removing the tomatoes while the syrup keeps simmering lets the syrup thicken without overcooking the fruit into mush. Returning them only after they cool helps them keep their shape.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, cider, vinegar, clove):
- Mustardfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Cucumberfits better
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, cider, vinegar, 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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