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
Prepare the citron
Boil the citron in alum water for 30 minutes, then drain.
Boil the citron in fresh water until tender.
Prepare the quinces
Boil the parings and cores of the quinces in enough water to cover them for 1.5 hours.
Strain the liquid and cook the prepared quinces in it until nearly tender.
Make the preserves
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
What each ingredient does
- Citron
- Provides the bulk of the preserve and its firm, chewy texture once cooked until tender.
- Quinces
- Contribute pectin and flavour, helping the preserve set and giving it a distinct aroma.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the preserve and, at this concentration, helps it thicken and turn clear as it boils.
The step that matters
Boiling until clear. Sugar must dissolve fully and the syrup must reach a sufficient concentration to set. Stopping too early leaves a runny, cloudy preserve, while boiling too long can darken and over-thicken it.
“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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