Why it works: Quince and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,444 recipes. Both carry 1-penten-3-one, which smells fish, pungent. The science ↓
Quince Marmalade
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Pare, core, and boil the quinces until very soft.
Mash the quinces with a spoon.
Make the marmalade
Add 1 pound of brown sugar for every pound of quince.
Boil slowly for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
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.
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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Quince + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,444 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
- Quinces
- Provide pectin and fruit body that helps the marmalade set as it cooks.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and body, and helps the mixture thicken into a spreadable texture.
The step that matters
Boil slowly and stir occasionally. Sugar and fruit can scorch on the bottom of the pan if left alone. Slow boiling and regular stirring let water evaporate evenly, so the mixture concentrates and thickens without burning.
“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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