Why it works: Celery and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,627 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Celery, to Pickle
Ingredients
Directions
Separate the stalks from the head and clean them thoroughly.
Soak the celery in a saltwater solution strong enough to float an egg for 7 to 10 days.
After soaking, wash the celery well in clean water and drain it dry.
Place the celery in a jar and pour boiling vinegar over it, adding any spices you like.
Ensure the celery is fully covered with vinegar.
If the celery has been in saltwater too long, soak it in clean water for 1 to 2 days, changing the water occasionally.
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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Celery + vinegartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,627 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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