Why it works: Ginger and mace are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,152 recipes. Both carry alpha-pinene, which smells pine, turpentine. The science ↓
To Pickle Green Tomatoes
Ingredients
Directions
Wash them and cut them in slices, with an equal number of white onions; put in a jar with a layer of tomatoes, then a layer of onions and salt ; let them remain twenty-four hours; take them out; have some good vinegar and pepper, white mustard seed, and cloves ; mix some mustard, flour, and tur- meric, with the vinegar ; and when boiling hot, put in the tomatoes and onions ; let them boil ten mi-
FAMILY RECEIPT BOOK. 127
nutes ; then take them up, and put them away ; in two weeks they will be fit for use ; at the end of that time boil the vinegar again, and pour over them.
PICCALILLE.
Piccalille is made in the same manner, only the vinegar must be cold when it is poured on : omit the cloves, as they will make them dark, and use white vinegar.
CAULIFLOWER.
Cut the cauliflower in small pieces, but long, so as to show the flower ; lay them twenty-four hours in salt and water; then take out and wash and drain them for two hours ; add to the vinegar, mus- tard seed, horse-radish, ginger, allsj)ice, and mace; boil for ten minutes, and pour over the cauliflower.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| 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.
-
Ginger + macetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,152 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
-
Vinegar + gingertop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,126 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, pear).
-
Vinegar + macetop 25% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,415 recipes
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Swap the mace
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, ginger):
- Allspicefits better
- Clovefits better
- Turmericfits better
- Macethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, ginger. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
More pickled green tomatoes recipes
You might also like
The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipes