Why it works: Onion and mustard match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,259 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Green Tomato Pickles
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the vegetables
One peck green tomatoes, one dozen sliced onions; sprinkle well with salt and let them stand until next day, then drain them.
Spice and layer
Use the following as spices: one small box mustard, half an ounce black pepper, one ounce of whole cloves, and one ounce of white mustard seed.
Wet the mustard before putting it in.
A tertiary layer of tomatoes, onions and spices; cover with vinegar.
Cook
Boil for twenty minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 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.
-
Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,259 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Clove + mustardtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,829 recipes
Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).
-
Tomato + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + mustardtop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,482 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Clove + tomatotop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,474 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Green tomatoes
- Form the bulk of the pickle and give it its tart, firm body.
- Onions
- Add savory sweetness and bulk, softening as the pickle cooks.
- Salt (in the method)
- Draws water out of the tomatoes and onions so they drain and stay firmer.
- Vinegar (in the method)
- Provides the acidity that preserves the pickle and gives it its sharp flavor.
- Whole cloves
- Adds warm, aromatic spice flavor throughout the pickle.
- Mustard seed
- Adds pungent, sharp flavor when wetted and cooked into the pickle.
The step that matters
Drain after salting. Salting draws moisture out of the tomatoes and onions, and draining removes that liquid. If it is skipped, the pickle stays watery and dilutes the vinegar, which weakens its texture and keeping quality.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, onion, mustard):
- Garlicfits better
- Capersfits better
- Celeryfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, onion, mustard. 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.
More green tomato pickles recipes
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Cream of Tomato Soup107 recipes
Tomato Bisque61 recipes
Cream Tomato Soup28 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.