Why it works: Sugar and orange are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 20% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,212 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
How to Prepare Isinglass Jelly
Ingredients
Directions
Make the jelly
Put one ounce and a half of isinglass, with two ounces of lump sugar and half a pint of water, into a small stewpan.
Stir the whole on the fire while it boils gently for ten minutes.
Remove the jelly from the fire.
Add the juice of three oranges and the thin pared rind of one orange.
Stir well together for five minutes.
Strain through a muslin into a basin.
Set
Set the jelly in a cold place to become stiff.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | 1 medium (131g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Water | 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.
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Sugar + orangetop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together19,212 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Sugar and orange barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 19,212 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
- Isinglass (in the method)
- Gelatin-like protein that sets into a firm, wobbly jelly as it cools.
- Lump sugar
- Adds sweetness and body to the jelly.
- Oranges
- Supply juice for flavour and acidity, plus pared rind for aroma.
The step that matters
Boiling the isinglass gently. Isinglass must dissolve fully without a hard boil, since vigorous boiling can weaken its setting power and leave the jelly soft. Gentle heat keeps the gelling protein intact so the jelly sets firm as it cools.
“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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