Ripe Tomato Pickles

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.

1. Celery + mustardtop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,169 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

2. Tomato + celerytop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together3,377 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

3. Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together16,012 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

4. Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together9,259 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

5. Mustard + cinnamontop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,581 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Tomatoes

Provide the bulk and body of the pickle once their excess juice is pressed out.

Onions

Add sharp, savoury flavour and aromatic depth as they soften in the vinegar mixture.

Brown sugar

Adds sweetness that balances the acidity of the vinegar and tomatoes.

Vinegar

Provides the acidity that gives the pickle its tang and helps keep it stable.

Mustard seed

Contributes a sharp, pungent bite that cuts through the sweetness.

Ground cinnamon

Adds warm aroma and a sweet spice note to the pickle.

The step that matters

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, celery, pepper, sugar, mustard, vinegar, cinnamon):

1. Capsicumfits better
2. Lettucefits better
3. Horseradishfits better
4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, celery, pepper, sugar, mustard, vinegar, cinnamon. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.