Why it works: Clove and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,189 recipes. Both carry ethyl cinnamate, which smells sweet, balsamic. The science ↓
Chili Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare and cook
Combine 1/2 cup tomatoes; 1 lb. white sugar; 6 red peppers; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 pk. onions; 1/2 of 5 cents' worth ground cloves; 1/4 of 5 cents' worth allspice; 1/4 quarts cider vinegar; 1/4 of 5 cents' worth ground ginger; 1/4 of 5 cents' worth ground cinnamon.
Stew and strain tomatoes, chop peppers finely, then add other ingredients and boil about two hours.
Bottle
Bottle and seal with sealing wax.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cloves | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Allspice | 1 tsp ground (1.9g) | 5 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
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.
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Clove + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,189 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
-
Clove + allspicetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together7,874 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Allspice + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,536 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Ginger + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,380 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Clove + gingertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,038 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Red peppers
- Supply the main body and sweet, mild pepper flavor of the sauce.
- Tomatoes (in the method)
- Provide moisture and body that cook down into the sauce.
- White sugar (in the method)
- Adds sweetness that balances the acidity of the vinegar.
- Cider vinegar (in the method)
- Adds acidity that gives the sauce its tang and helps preserve it.
- Onions (in the method)
- Add savory depth and aroma to the base of the sauce.
The step that matters
Boil about two hours. Long boiling evaporates water from the tomatoes and peppers, so the sauce thickens and its spice and vinegar flavors concentrate and blend.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, clove, allspice, cinnamon):
- Nutmegfits better
- Cardamomfits better
- Gingerthe original
- Marjoramfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, clove, allspice, cinnamon. 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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