Why it works: Allspice and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,874 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Tomato Catsup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the tomatoes
Skin one peck of ripe tomatoes.
Boil the tomatoes until soft.
Press the tomatoes through a colander.
Season and simmer
Add one-half ounce raw ginger.
Add two tablespoons ground pepper.
Add one spoon each of powdered allspice and cloves.
Boil slowly for two or three hours.
Finish and bottle
After taking from the fire, add one-third cup ground mustard and put into a little of the mixture. Stir in the whole.
Add a pint of vinegar. Stir well.
Bottle and seal.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Allspice | 1 tsp ground (1.9g) | 5 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
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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Allspice + clovetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together7,874 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Ginger + clovetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,038 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Ginger + allspicetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,620 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Pepper + allspicetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,395 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ripe tomatoes
- Form the bulk of the ketchup and provide its main body and flavor.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens flavor and helps preserve the sauce.
- Ground pepper
- Adds pungent heat and aroma to the sauce.
- Ginger
- Adds warm, aromatic flavor that balances the tomatoes.
The step that matters
Boil slowly for two or three hours. Long, gentle simmering evaporates water and concentrates the tomatoes into a thick sauce. Boiling too hard can scorch the bottom and burn the flavor.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ginger, pepper, allspice, clove, vinegar):
- Capsicumfits better
- Mustardfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against ginger, pepper, allspice, clove, vinegar. 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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