Why it works: Sugar and lemon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 53,532 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Stewed Prunes
Ingredients
Directions
Soak
Clean and soak the prunes in cold water overnight.
Add enough sugar to sweeten the prunes.
Simmer
In the morning, place the prunes on the back of the stove and let them simmer until tender, covered, shaking the pot occasionally and never letting them boil.
Serve
Just before serving, you may add a sliced lemon or orange if desired.
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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Sugar + lemontop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together53,532 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Prunes
- Provide the main body and flavor, softening during soaking and simmering into a tender fruit.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the prunes and balances their tart, concentrated fruit flavor.
The step that matters
Keep the heat low and do not let them boil. Vigorous boiling can split the prune skins and break the fruit apart, leaving it mushy. A gentle simmer softens the flesh while helping the prunes hold their shape.
“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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