Why it works: Vinegar and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 18,226 recipes. Both carry acetic acid, which smells sour, vinegar. The science ↓
Chili Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Peck ripe tomatoes.
Add 10 green peppers.
Add 10 good sized onions.
Cook and can
Add 5 cupfuls vinegar.
Add 3 cupfuls brown sugar.
Add 5 tablespoonfuls salt.
Boil for 2 hours and can while hot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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 + oniontop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,226 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Vinegar + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Sugar + oniontop 36% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together15,747 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Sugar and onion barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 15,747 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
- Vinegar
- Provides acidity that sharpens the sauce and helps keep it stable.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and depth, and helps the sauce thicken as it cooks down.
- Tomatoes (in the method)
- Break down during cooking to give the sauce its body and moisture.
The step that matters
Boil for 2 hours and can while hot.. A long simmer evaporates water and concentrates the flavour while thickening the sauce. Packing it while hot helps drive air out of the jars and supports a good seal.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, sugar):
- Mustardfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Cucumberfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, sugar. 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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