Why it works: Cucumber and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,734 recipes. Both carry 2-methylbutyl acetate, which smells fruit. The science ↓
To Pickle Cucumbers in Slices
Ingredients
Directions
Slice cucumbers into ¾-inch thick pieces.
Layer cucumbers in a sieve, sprinkling salt between each layer.
Let them sit for 24 hours.
Line the bottom and sides of a preserving pan with vine leaves.
Add cucumbers and spices, then top with more vine leaves.
Pour vinegar over the cucumbers until covered.
Place a plate on top to trap steam and set aside the fire.
If desired, slice onions and mix them with the cucumbers.
Pour boiling hot vinegar over the mixture.
Transfer to jars and seal tightly.
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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Cucumber + vinegartop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,734 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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