Why it works: Vinegar and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 20,806 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Cucumber Pickles
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Salt 100 cucumbers in layers overnight with 10 cents mixed spices.
Next morning, drain and wash the cucumbers.
Make the pickles
Scald the cucumbers in 2 pints of water and 1 pint of vinegar.
Pour off the scalding liquid and put the cucumbers in a kettle.
Add the mixed spices in a bag, 1 pint brown sugar, 1 pint vinegar, and 1 pint water.
Cook until tender.
Seal
Seal in jars.
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 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| 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.
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.
-
Vinegar + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cucumbers (in the method)
- Main vegetable; overnight salting draws out water so the pickles stay firmer.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens the flavour and helps preserve the pickles.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness that balances the sharpness of the vinegar.
- Mixed spices
- Provides aroma and warm flavour infused into the pickling liquid.
The step that matters
Cook until tender. Cooking too long turns cucumbers soft and mushy, while stopping too early leaves them hard. The vinegar and sugar liquid keeps cooking gentle, so checking texture matters.
“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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