Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Watermel Pickle
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the rind
Pare and cut the watermelon rind into strips.
Soak the strips in weak brine for 12 hours, then pour off the brine.
Scald the rind in enough water to cover with 1 teaspoon of alum until clear.
Drain and wash the rind thoroughly in cold water.
Cook the pickle
In a pot, bring the vinegar to a boil, then add the rind, spices, and sugar.
Boil until the rind is tender.
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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Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Cinnamon + clovetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,189 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
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Clove + nutmegtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together8,686 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Vinegar + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 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
- Watermelon rind
- Forms the pickle's main body, becoming tender and absorbing the spiced syrup as it cooks.
- Vinegar
- Provides the acidity that preserves the pickle and gives it a sharp, tangy flavor.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the pickle and, with the vinegar, helps form the thick syrup that coats the rind.
- Alum
- Firms the rind so it stays crisp rather than turning soft during cooking.
- Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg or ginger
- Add the warm, aromatic spice flavor that defines the pickle.
The step that matters
Scalding the rind with alum until clear. Alum firms the rind's pectin-rich tissue so it holds its shape. Scalding in enough water to cover, and stopping once the rind turns clear, avoids over-softening it before the final simmer.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg):
- Allspicefits about as well
- Clovethe original
- Cardamomfits about as well
- Gingerfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg. 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.
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