Why it works: Apricot and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,630 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Apricot Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wipe the apricots and cut them into pieces.
Grease the inside of a preserving pan with fine salad oil.
Make the apricot cheese
Add the apricots to the pan and boil until they become a pulp, stirring constantly.
Add the sugar and continue to stir while boiling sharply until the mixture turns golden brown.
Check that the mixture clings to the spoon and leaves the pan clear.
Set and serve
Pour the mixture into small molds and cover.
Allow to cool and solidify.
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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Apricot + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,630 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Apricots
- Provide the bulk and fruit flavour, breaking down into a thick pulp when boiled.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and, as the mixture cooks down, helps it thicken and set.
The step that matters
Boil sharply while stirring after adding the sugar. Sugar at high heat can scorch and turn bitter before the mixture is ready. Constant stirring prevents sticking and uneven browning, and the mixture must reduce enough to hold its shape once cooled.
“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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