Why it works: Rhubarb and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,852 recipes. Both carry 1-penten-3-one, which smells fish, pungent. The science ↓
Rhubarb Tarts
6 tartsIngredients
Directions
Prepare the rhubarb
Pare off the green parts of the rhubarb and peel them well.
Cut the rhubarb into small pieces, half an inch long.
Cook and cool
Put the pieces into a saucepan over very low heat, cover, and cook slowly for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the powdered sugar, mixing well for 1 minute.
Transfer the mixture to another vessel and set aside in a cool place for at least 1.5 hours.
Assemble
Divide the rhubarb mixture into 6 tarts and finish as you would for peach tarts.
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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Rhubarb + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,852 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
- Rhubarb stalks
- Provide the tart filling's main body and tangy flavour once cooked down.
- Powdered sugar
- Sweetens the rhubarb and helps it soften into a smooth, spreadable filling.
The step that matters
Cooking the rhubarb slowly over very low heat. Low, gentle heat softens the fibres evenly without scorching the sugar-free fruit or boiling it to a watery mush. Cooking it covered keeps moisture in so the pieces break down into a thick filling.
“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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