Adding alcohol to recipes… did you know...

house cat · ‎08-23-2012

…. that the alcohol does not evaporate like I thought it did?

The recipe I'm making today calls for a bottle of beer. Dh cannot have alcohol and I'm thinking I'd better not use it.

I was under the impression that deglazing the pan with wine was safe, but evidently it's not.

I just thought I'd share.

ahoymate · ‎05-30-2010

FYI.......the amount of alcohol left after cooking isn't much. It's used to enhance flavor, much like salt.

http://www.finecooking.com/item/13810/alcohols-role-in-cooking

lovesrecess · ‎03-14-2010

OP is correct...all of the alcohol does not vanish after cooking like many ""experts"" say

lolakimono · ‎03-29-2012

HC,

Can DH have non-alc like O'Doul's?

DiAnne · ‎09-22-2010

Deglazing leaves very little alcohol. I never worried about feeding the meals to my children but if someone had a ""problem"" with alcohol I would never use it.

house cat · ‎08-23-2012

On 3/1/2014 lolakimono said:
HC,

Can DH have non-alc like O'Doul's?

Nope.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

On 3/1/2014 lolakimono said:
HC,

Can DH have non-alc like O'Doul's?

That seems like the best solution, if he absolutely needs to avoid it.

Yeah, I've always heard that all the alcohol is burned off. I imagine the vast majority of it really is, but I never thought about it much. I don't cook with alcohol hardly ever - maybe a couple of bottles of beer in my turkey chili is about it. I don't care for wine, so I never even have that on hand.

house cat · ‎08-23-2012

I keep little bottles of wine in the pantry for deglazing and a few recipes. I didn't realize that it doesn't burn off altogether.

MargieRJ · ‎01-08-2014

It depends on when the alcohol is put into the recipe and the cooking temperature. If alcohol is used, say in a cake recipe, after baking as a moistener then most of the alcohol will still be present. So in something like tiramisu, alcohol will be present.

If you use alcohol in a recipe such as cherries jubilee most of the alcohol is burned off before you serve it. The alcohol fuels that fire and adds flavor.

If you are making bread, stew, chili, beer batters, etc. either the cooking temperature (ex. frying) &/or length of time will eliminate most or all the alcohol and leave the taste behind. It will evaporate out of the food.

I happen to be a lab scientist and have used many types of alcohols in my work. So I know each type does evaporate, some quicker than others.

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol12.htm