Name: Walnut Catsup
Ingredients: 1/4 pound of ginger; 1/4 pound of allspice; 2 ounces of long pepper; 2 ounces of cloves; 6 half sieves of green walnut shells; 3 pounds; one side of the tub; 6 quarts

Why it works: Allspice and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,874 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Walnut Catsup

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the liquor

Take 6 half sieves of green walnut shells, put them in a tub, mix well with common salt (from 2 to 3 pounds).
Let the mixture stand for 6 days, frequently beating and mashing the shells.
After a while the shells will become soft and pulpy.
Push the shells up one side of the tub and tip the tub a little so the liquor runs to the other side.
The liquor will be nice and clear.
Take the liquor out; repeat the above process until no more liquor can be obtained.
You will get about 6 quarts of liquor.
Let this liquor simmer in an iron boiler as long as any scum rises.

Spice and boil

Bruise 1/4 pound of ginger, 1/4 pound of allspice, 2 ounces of long pepper, and 2 ounces of cloves.
Add these spices to the liquor and boil slowly for 1/2 hour.

Bottle and store

When bottled, put an equal quantity of spice in each bottle.
When corked, let the bottle be well filled up.
Cork tightly, seal them over, and put in a cool and dry place for 1 year.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

46Calories

1 gProtein

3 gFat

5 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 5 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Walnut	1 walnut half (4g)	26
Clove	1 tsp ground (2g)	7
Long Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	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.

By Margaret Brown. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Project Gutenberg).

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.

Allspice + clovetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together7,874 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Ginger + clovetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together6,038 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Ginger + allspicetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together2,620 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together17,451 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
Allspice + peppertop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together6,395 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

Green walnut shells: Their soaked pulp and liquor form the base of the sauce, carrying its flavour and colour.
Common salt (in the method): Softens the shells and draws out the liquor during the six-day standing period.
Ginger: Adds a warm, pungent aroma to the spiced liquor.
Cloves: Adds a strong, aromatic warmth that flavours the liquor.