Why it works: Sugar and peach are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,308 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Peach Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sauce
Mix ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon corn starch.
Gradually pour in 1 cup boiling water, then boil for 5 minutes, stirring.
Finish and serve
Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon butter, and a cup of peaches that have been peeled, mashed, and rubbed through a fine sieve.
Bring just to boiling point and serve.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Peach | 1 medium (150g) | 59 |
| 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 + peachtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,308 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and balances the tartness of the peaches and lemon.
- Corn starch (in the method)
- Thickens the sauce as it boils, giving it body.
- Peaches
- Provide the main fruit flavour and pulp that thickens the sauce.
- Lemon juice (in the method)
- Adds acidity that brightens the peach flavour.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds fat for a smoother, richer mouthfeel.
The step that matters
Pour in the boiling water gradually while stirring. Adding the water slowly while stirring disperses the corn starch evenly so it does not clump. Starch granules thicken the sauce as they swell and gelatinize in the boiling liquid, so lumps formed at the start are hard to remove later.
“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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