Why it works: Walnut and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 22% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,769 recipes. Both carry sotolon, which smells curry, maple. The science ↓
Pickled Walnuts
Ingredients
Directions
Drain the walnuts and place them on a dish.
Leave them in a warm place until they turn black, about 2-3 days.
Prepare dry jars and fill them with the walnuts, leaving some space at the top.
Boil enough vinegar to cover the walnuts for 10 minutes with your choice of spices.
Pour the hot vinegar over the walnuts, ensuring they are fully submerged.
Seal the jars with a bladder and store in a dry place.
They will be ready to use in a month and can last 2-3 years.
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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Walnut + vinegartop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,769 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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