Amjoie said:
Some ingredients consistently give better results than others, so lists like these are really important. But it also very much depends on your sims level of skill and some pseudo random qualifiers. So results are never as simple as just knowing the right ingredients.
Exactly, Amjoie. The game evidently uses a randomizing algorithm, which can make it very confusing for the player.
Carl's Sims has the most comprehensive guide, which includes articles on nectar making; quality, value and aging; upgrades and process comparison; as well as recipes and blends. http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/skills/worldadventures/nectarmaking/
Then Carl's forums has a lot of further info, including an analysis of the game coding and that randomizing algorithm:
http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=219.0
Finally, this is ArchitectHere's "functional base library" based on his testing of nectar formulas. http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=393340
These were the primary sources for the recipes that Carmen tested.
It is clear that EA did not want to make this easy (or completely logical).
