Why it works: Sugar and syrup match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,842 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Lemon Water Ice
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the base
Rub the rind of the lemons on the sugar lumps.
Squeeze the strained juice of the lemons over the sugar.
Add the water and syrup to the mixture.
Let it sit for 1-2 hours.
Mix the mixture.
Strain the mixture.
Freeze and finish
Freeze the mixture.
When it starts to set, stir in the beaten egg whites mixed with powdered sugar.
Leave the preparation in the ice until ready to serve.
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.
-
Sugar + syruptop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,842 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Lemon + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together53,532 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Lemon + eggtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
-
Lemon + syruptop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,235 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Lemon and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 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
- Lemons
- Supply the juice and rind that give the water ice its sharp, fragrant flavour.
- Sugar lumps
- Rubbed against the lemon rind to draw out its aromatic oils and add sweetness.
- Syrup
- Adds sweetness and dissolved sugar that keeps the ice smooth rather than rock hard.
- Egg whites
- Beaten and folded in near setting to add lightness and a softer, airier texture.
- Powdered sugar
- Sweetens the beaten egg whites so they blend into the ice and stay stable.
The step that matters
Stirring in the egg whites when it starts to set. If the mixture is still liquid, the beaten whites sink and deflate; if it is frozen solid, they cannot be blended in evenly. Stirring at the point of partial freezing keeps the whites airy and evenly distributed.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, syrup, egg):
- Vanillafits better
- Raisinfits better
- Lemonthe original
- Figfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, syrup, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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.
More lemon water ice recipes
You might also like
Lemon Cake228 recipes
Lemon Ice147 recipes
Lemon Sherbet103 recipes
Lemon Custard64 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.