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 ↓
Citron and Quince Preserves
Ingredients
Directions
Pare and cut the citron into small pieces.
Boil in alum water for 30 minutes, then drain.
Boil in fresh water until tender.
Pare and core the quinces, cutting them into 8 pieces.
Boil the parings and cores in enough water to cover for 45 minutes; strain the liquid.
Cook the prepared quinces in the strained liquid until nearly tender.
Add the citron and for each pound of fruit, add ¾ pound of sugar.
Boil until clear.
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
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