Why it works: Cherry and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and 2,598 recipes mention both. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
The recipe
4 cupsIngredients
Contains: wheat (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
Place the pitted cherries in a medium saucepan. Add the white sugar and cornstarch and stir well until the cherries are evenly coated.
Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes so the cherries release some of their juice.
Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the juices boil and thicken, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring, until the filling looks glossy and thick.
Remove from the heat and let the filling cool completely before using it in a pie or storing it in the refrigerator.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Cherry + sugartop 11% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together2,598 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Sugar + flourtop 10% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together89,462 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Cherry + flourtop 12% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together1,532 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Sugar and flour share little aroma chemistry, yet 89,462 recipes mention both: they likely work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
The Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
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