Why it works: Cinnamon and clove 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 ↓
Musk Melon Pickles
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the melons
Take the melons when just ripe.
Pare and slice them about an inch and a half thick.
Put the slices in alum water for one night.
Take them out and drain well.
Make the syrup
Prepare a syrup by mixing three pounds sugar with three pints vinegar.
Boil the syrup well and skim off foam.
Pickle and finish
Pour the syrup over the melons.
Pour off the syrup, heat it, and pour it back over the melons for nine mornings.
On the last morning, add cinnamon and cloves to the syrup to suit the taste.
Boil the syrup down until just enough to cover the pickles.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| 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.
-
Cinnamon + clovetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,189 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
-
Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
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).
-
Vinegar + cinnamontop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,187 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (smoky, clove).
Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sugar
- Sweetens the pickle and, with the vinegar, helps preserve the melon flesh.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens the flavour and helps preserve the melon.
- Melons (in the method)
- Provide the firm flesh that absorbs the spiced syrup over repeated heating.
- Cinnamon
- Adds warm aroma to the syrup.
- Cloves
- Adds warm, pungent aroma to the syrup.
The step that matters
Boil the syrup down until just enough to cover the pickles. Reducing the syrup concentrates its sugar and vinegar, which helps preserve the pickles. Too little reduction leaves the syrup weak, and too much leaves the melon dry and overly sweet.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, vinegar, cinnamon):
- Allspicefits about as well
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Clovethe original
- Cardamomfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, vinegar, cinnamon. 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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