Why it works: Pepper and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,814 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
To Pickle Green Peppers
Ingredients
Directions
Gather young bell peppers and slit one side to remove the core without damaging the shell.
Soak the peppers in boiling salted water, changing the water daily for one week.
Keep the peppers covered in a warm place and stir them several times a day.
When the peppers turn a fine green, place them in a jar.
Pour white vinegar over the peppers and add a small piece of alum.
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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Pepper + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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