Why it works: Clove and saffron match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 455 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Vegetarian Cookery
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the apples
Choose apples (e.g., orange‑pippins or rosy‑cheeked).
Pare, core, and slice the apples.
Place the apples in a preserving pan with enough water to cover them.
Stir occasionally and stew gently until the apples have fallen apart.
Strain and make the jelly
Turn the mixture into a jelly‑bag and strain away the juice, but do not squeeze or press the pulp.
Measure the liquid and add sugar at a ratio of one pound sugar to one pint juice.
Return the juice and sugar to the preserving pan; optionally add one or two cloves tied in muslin or two to three inches of lemon rind.
Boil gently, skimming carefully, for about half an hour or until a small amount of the jelly set on a plate.
Pour the hot jelly into jars; when cold and stiff, cover in the usual way.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 4 ingredients. The other 2 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 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Saffron | not in our table | 0 |
| Fruit | 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.
-
Clove + saffrontop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together455 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Clove + sugartop 26% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together17,182 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
-
Sugar + saffrontop 30% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together650 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Clove and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 17,182 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
- Apples (in the method)
- Their natural pectin and acid let the strained juice set into a firm jelly.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the jelly and helps it set firm and hold its shape when cooled.
The step that matters
Do not squeeze or press the pulp. Pressing the pulp forces cloudy solids and fine particles through the bag, which makes the jelly cloudy and can weaken clarity. Letting it drip gives a clear, bright jelly.
Swap the saffron
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (clove, sugar):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Allspicefits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Saffronthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against clove, 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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