Why it works: Peach and almond match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 466 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Preserved Peaches
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the peaches
Take large juicy ripe free-stone peaches.
Pare the peaches, cut them in half or in quarters, and remove the stones, saving half of the stones.
Powder the loaf sugar and strew it among the peaches.
Cover the peaches and let them stand all night.
Make the kernel water
Crack half the peach-stones, break them up, and put them into a small sauce-pan.
Boil the stones slowly in as much water as will cover them.
When the water is well flavoured with the peach-kernels, strain them out and set the water aside.
Cook and preserve
Put the peaches into a preserving kettle and boil them in their juice over a quick fire, adding the kernel-water and skimming all the time.
When the peaches are quite clear, which should be in half an hour, take them off and put them into a tureen.
Boil the syrup five minutes longer and pour it hot over the peaches.
When the peaches are cool, put them into glass jars and tie them up with paper dipped in brandy laid next to them.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 5 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Peach | 1 medium (150g) | 59 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Almond | 1 almond (1.2g) | 7 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Brandy | 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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Peach + almondtop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together466 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Peach + brandytop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together339 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Brandy + almondtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,969 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
-
Peach + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,308 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Sugar + almondtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,679 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Peaches
- Their juice and flesh soften and turn clear as they cook in the sugar syrup.
- Loaf sugar
- Draws juice out of the peaches overnight and, once boiled, forms the preserving syrup.
- Brown sugar
- Adds deeper sweetness and a molasses flavour to the syrup.
- Brandy
- Adds alcohol that helps preserve the fruit and contributes aroma.
- Peach stones
- Their kernels flavour the water used in the cooking, adding an almond-like aroma.
The step that matters
Cooking the peaches over a quick fire until clear. Boiling fast and skimming keeps the fruit firm and clear while the syrup thickens. Cooking too long softens the peaches and breaks them down into mush.
“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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