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 ↓
Constantia Jelly
Ingredients
Directions
Infuse and dissolve
Infuse the rind of half a Seville orange, pared extremely thin, in a pint of water for five minutes.
Add an ounce of isinglass to the infusion.
When the isinglass is dissolved, throw in four ounces of good sugar in lumps.
Stir well and simmer the mixture for a few minutes.
Add wine and set
Mix in four large wineglassesful of Constantia wine.
Strain the jelly through a fine cloth of close texture.
Let the jelly settle and cool.
Pour the jelly gently from any sediment into a mould that has been laid for an hour or two in water.
Optional clarifying
Optionally clarify the isinglass with an additional quarter ounce, and boil the sugar and orange rind with it afterwards.
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.
-
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
- Gelatinous setting agent that firms the liquid into a clear, sliceable jelly.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and balances the acidity of the wine and orange.
- Constantia wine
- Provides the main flavour and liquid base of the jelly.
- Seville orange rind
- Adds bitter aromatic citrus flavour infused into the water.
The step that matters
Pour off the sediment gently. Isinglass and any unstrained particles settle to the bottom as the jelly cools. Pouring gently keeps the sediment behind, so the set jelly stays clear rather than cloudy.
“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.
You might also like
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Orange Cream Rice Pudding121 recipes
Orange Gelatin100 recipes
Orange Sherbet73 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.