Why it works: Sugar and lemon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 53,532 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Pineapple Sherbet
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the gelatin
Soak the gelatin in two cups of cold water for 15 minutes.
Dissolve the gelatin in two cups of boiling water.
Combine and set
Mix the pineapple, sugar, and juice of two lemons.
Strain the gelatin into the fruit.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Water | 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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
-
Sugar + lemontop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together53,532 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 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
- Gelatine
- Sets the liquid into a firm, sliceable structure as it cools.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and softens the texture so the mixture is less icy.
- Lemons
- Their juice adds acidity that brightens the sweet pineapple flavour.
- Pineapple (in the method)
- Provides the main fruit flavour and moisture for the dessert.
The step that matters
Dissolve the gelatin fully in boiling water. Undissolved gelatine granules leave gritty specks and weak spots, so the dessert may not set evenly. Soaking first hydrates the gelatine so it dissolves smoothly in hot water.
“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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