Why it works: Sugar and syrup match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,842 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Vanilla Extract
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Prepare sugar syrup by dissolving 7 pounds of sugar in 1 gallon of water using heat.
Combine
Combine 1 oz of vanillin, 1 gal of cologne spirits, 6 pt of distilled water, 1½ pt of sugar syrup, and ½ pt of glycerine in a large container, then mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
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 + syruptop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,842 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Spirit + syruptop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together141 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Spirit + sugartop 25% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together602 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
- Vanillin
- Provides the characteristic vanilla flavor and aroma that defines the extract.
- Cologne spirits
- Alcohol solvent that dissolves the vanillin and carries its flavor through the liquid.
- Sugar syrup
- Adds sweetness and rounds out the harsh edge of the alcohol.
- Glycerine
- Adds body and helps keep the flavor smooth and the liquid from tasting thin.
The step that matters
Mixing until fully incorporated. Vanillin dissolves completely only when it is thoroughly mixed into the alcohol and water. Undissolved crystals leave uneven flavor and can settle to the bottom of the container.
“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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