Why it works: Cider and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,431 recipes. Both carry 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol, which smells smoky, clove. The science ↓
Raspberry Vinegar
Ingredients
Directions
Macerate
Place raspberries in a stone jar and cover with cider vinegar.
Let it sit for 4 days, stirring thoroughly each day.
Strain the mixture through a jelly bag.
Make the syrup
Measure the juice and add an equal amount of sugar.
Boil the mixture until thick, but not jellied, skimming off any scum.
Bottle and seal when cool.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Cider + vinegartop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,431 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (smoky, clove).
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Vinegar + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Cider + sugartop 27% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,308 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Raspberries
- Provide the main fruit flavour and colour for the vinegar.
- Cider vinegar
- Extracts the fruit flavour and adds the sharp acidity that defines the drink.
- Sugar
- Balances the acidity and thickens the syrup as the mixture boils down.
The step that matters
Boil until thick but not jellied. Boiling concentrates the sugar and juice into a syrup. Boiling too long can turn it into a jelly, while stopping too early leaves it thin and prone to spoiling. Skimming removes foam and scum that can ferment.
“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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