Why it works: Plum and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,313 recipes. Both carry 1-penten-3-one, which smells fish, pungent. The science ↓
Magnum Bonum Plum Jam
Ingredients
Directions
Divide and stone the plums.
Boil the plums for 40 minutes, stirring well.
Add the sugar and kernels, then boil for an additional 15 minutes.
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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Plum + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,313 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
- Plums
- Provide the fruit base, with pectin and natural acidity that help the jam set and taste bright.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the jam and, as it dissolves and concentrates, helps it thicken and keep.
- Blanched kernels
- Add a subtle nutty, almond-like aroma and flavour to the jam.
The step that matters
Boiling the sugar in for the final 15 minutes. Sugar must dissolve fully and the mixture must reach a rolling boil so the jam concentrates and sets. Too little boiling leaves it runny, while overcooking can make it dark and sticky.
“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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