Why it works: Pepper and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,814 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Pepper Pickle
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Take a number of green peppers, half as many tomatoes, and a quarter as many onions.
Grind peppers and tomatoes, salt well, and let stand several hours.
Drain and pickle
Drain over night in a bag.
Grind the onions, mix with them some ground mace and celery seed, cover all with vinegar and sweeten to taste.
Cut one red pepper through it.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Mace | 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.
-
Pepper + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Pepper + macetop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,257 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
-
Mace + vinegartop 25% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,415 recipes
Pepper and mace barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 12,257 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
- Green peppers
- Form the main bulk and crisp texture of the pickle.
- Tomatoes (in the method)
- Add moisture and a soft, juicy body to the mixture.
- Onions (in the method)
- Contribute sharp pungency that mellows in the vinegar.
- Vinegar
- Adds sharp acidity and helps preserve the pickle.
- Mace
- Adds a warm, aromatic spice flavor.
- Celery seed (in the method)
- Adds an aromatic, savory note to the pickle.
The step that matters
Salt well and let stand, then drain overnight. Salt draws water out of the peppers and tomatoes through osmosis. Thorough salting and draining remove excess liquid, which helps the pickle stay firm and keeps it from becoming watery in the vinegar.
Swap the mace
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, vinegar):
- Tarragonfits better
- Dillfits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Macethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, 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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