Why it works: Onion and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 68,474 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Cucumber Catsup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the cucumbers
Seed and grate 1 dozen large, ripe cucumbers.
Make a bag of thin muslin, put in the cucumbers, and hang them up to drain overnight.
Chop 2 or 3 onions, 2 or 3 green peppers; add 1 tablespoon salt, 1 quart vinegar and the cucumbers.
Wash small cucumbers and let soak in salt water overnight.
Put small cucumbers in salt water for 24 hours.
Rinse and drain.
Make the pickle
Bring 1 quart vinegar to the boil with 1 pint sugar.
Put the cucumbers in the vinegar and get them heated through.
Take them out.
Pack in jars.
Oil the vinegar again with mixed spices to suit the taste.
Pour over the cucumbers.
Put in glass jars, sprinkle in sugar and mixed spices to taste, and pour over them enough boiling vinegar to cover.
Seal while hot.
Tie up tight or seal.
Bottle and seal.
Slices of horseradish may be mixed with the cucumbers.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
-
Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Vinegar + oniontop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,226 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Vinegar + peppertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Vinegar + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Sugar + peppertop 32% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together19,401 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar and pepper barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 19,401 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
- Cucumbers (in the method)
- Their firm flesh gives the pickles their crisp, crunchy bite once brined and cooked.
- Vinegar
- Acidity preserves the cucumbers and gives the pickle its sharp, tangy flavour.
- Sugar
- Sweetness balances the sharpness of the vinegar.
- Onions
- Add savoury, aromatic flavour to the pickle mixture.
- Green peppers
- Add fresh, vegetal flavour and some crunch to the pickle mixture.
The step that matters
Rinse and drain before heating in the vinegar. Soaking in salt draws out water and salt. Rinsing removes surface salt, and draining keeps excess liquid from diluting the hot vinegar, so the pickle stays properly seasoned and crisp.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, sugar, pepper):
- Capsicumfits better
- Mustardfits better
- Cabbagefits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, sugar, pepper. 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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