Why it works: Vinegar and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 20,806 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Cherries, Pickled
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Leave 1 inch of the stalks on the cherries and pack them lightly in jars.
Pickle
Boil the vinegar and sugar together.
Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cherries.
When cold, cover the jars with paper.
Let them stand in a cool place for 1 week.
Drain off the vinegar, boil and skim it well.
Pour the hot vinegar over the cherries again.
When cold, cover the jars closely and keep 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.
-
Vinegar + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 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
- Cherries
- Provide the fruit that is preserved and flavoured by the sweet, sharp syrup.
- Vinegar
- Acts as the preserving liquid and gives the cherries their sharp, tangy flavour.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the pickling liquid and balances the sharpness of the vinegar.
The step that matters
Draining, boiling and skimming the vinegar before the second pour. Reboiling the vinegar and skimming off its scum gives a clearer liquid and helps it keep the fruit well preserved. Pouring it over the cherries again while it is hot ensures the fruit is fully covered and sealed against spoilage.
“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.
More pickled cherries recipes
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.