Why it works: Peach and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,308 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Peach Jam
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the peaches
Pare the peaches, remove the stones, and cut them into quarters.
Place the peaches in a preserving pan over the fire and stir constantly until soft.
Rub the mixture through a sieve to remove lumps.
Make the jam
Beat the pulp until smooth, then add 1 pound of sugar for each pound of pulp.
Return the mixture to the fire, stirring and skimming constantly, and cook for 15 minutes after it begins to boil.
Store
Fill jars with the jam, cover tightly, and store in a cool, dry place.
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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Peach + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,308 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
- Ripe peaches
- Provide the fruit pulp that forms the body and flavour of the jam.
- White sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps thicken the jam as it cooks and sets.
The step that matters
Cooking the pulp with sugar after it boils. Stirring and skimming constantly prevents scorching on the bottom of the pan and removes foam. Cooking for the set time lets enough water evaporate and the pectin and sugar gel, so the jam sets rather than staying runny.
“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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