Why it works: Tomato and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 33% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,667 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Red Tomato Butter
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Peel and weigh the tomatoes.
Place them in a preserving kettle.
Cook
When they begin to release juice, add sugar.
Cook slowly for 5 to 6 hours.
Finish
Pour into jars or glasses and seal.
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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Tomato + sugartop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,667 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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 moisture that cook down into a thick, spreadable butter.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps thicken the butter as the water evaporates.
The step that matters
Cook slowly for 5 to 6 hours. Low, slow heat lets water evaporate gradually so the mixture thickens without scorching on the bottom of the kettle. Stirring prevents sticking.
“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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