Why it works: Pepper and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 68,474 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Sweet Tomato Pickle
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the vegetables
Take ½ package of green tomatoes, 4 green peppers, and 4 raw onions.
Slice the vegetables and place them in earthen crocks, alternating with salt sprinkled through.
Leave the crocks to soak overnight, then drain the contents and place them on the stove to boil.
Cook and store
Add ¼ lb of ginger, ¼ lb of cinnamon, 1 lb of sugar, and ¼ lb of allspice.
Cover with good, strong vinegar and boil until the mixture is soft and brown.
Transfer the pickle to earthen jars for storage.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
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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Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Green tomatoes
- Form the bulk of the pickle and soften into a tender, spoonable texture during boiling.
- Sugar (in the method)
- Adds sweetness and helps the pickle brown and thicken as it cooks down.
- Vinegar (in the method)
- Provides acidity that preserves the vegetables and gives the pickle its sharp tang.
- Salt (in the method)
- Draws water out of the sliced vegetables during the overnight soak, firming them for the boil.
The step that matters
Boiling until soft and brown. Boiling long enough softens the vegetables and concentrates the sugar, which caramelises and darkens the pickle. Stopping too early leaves it firm and pale, while overcooking can scorch the sugar and make it bitter.
“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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