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 ↓
Pickled Green Beans
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Select a flat bean, if possible. Wash and break into 3 or 4 pieces.
Boil until tender, but not soft.
Pack and seal
Place in glass jars and pour over them a syrup made of 1 quart of vinegar and 1 quart of sugar.
Sprinkle whole spices on the top, and seal.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
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
- Green beans (in the method)
- The main vegetable, softened by boiling so it can absorb the pickling syrup.
- Vinegar
- Provides the sour acidity that flavours the beans and helps preserve them.
- Sugar
- Balances the vinegar's sharpness and adds sweetness to the syrup.
The step that matters
Boil until tender, but not soft. Overboiling breaks down the bean's cell walls, leaving it mushy and limp. Stopping when the beans are just tender keeps their texture firm enough to hold up in the jar.
“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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