Why it works: Cucumber and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,734 recipes. Both carry 2-methylbutyl acetate, which smells fruit. The science ↓
Pickles
Ingredients
Directions
Choose firm, equal-sized cucumbers and place them in a stone or glass jar.
Cover the cucumbers with fresh vinegar.
Seal the jar tightly with paper or a tin cover, or cork if using wide-mouthed bottles.
For long-term storage, place cucumbers in a strong salt and water brine, keeping them submerged.
To prepare for use, freshen cucumbers in two or three changes of water over two to three days until they are less salty.
Pour scalding vinegar over the cucumbers three times, then cover them.
Add spices and seasoning to the vinegar to taste.
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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Cucumber + vinegartop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,734 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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