Substitute for alcohol in recipes

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tmsouth1

Assistant Cook
Joined
Mar 19, 2008
Messages
18
Location
Texas
I would like to make Tiramisu but it has 2 tsp of dark rum in it. I know this is not alot but because of my Christian beliefs we do not keep alcohol in our house at all. I am always disappointed when I come across a new recipe that has alcohol in it and can't make it. Do you have any suggestions on what would make a good substitute? As a kid my great Aunt made a "to die for" Lane cake and I later found it had I think rum in it (I'm not sure). I was so disappointed. Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated. Happy cooking. :chef:
 
I think CLICK HERE this is some excellent information on alcohol substitutions...Please note there are 4 pages to the article with page 4 giving you a lot of substitution ideas.....HTH.

Enjoy your Tiramisu!!!
 
thanks alot for all the info. i love to cook but run into this obstacle alot.
 
thanks alot for all the info. i love to cook but run into this obstacle alot.

IMO learning to cook around obstacles pushes you to be a better cook. On one project (we cooked lunch at site in a full kitchen) I worked with a some one who did not eat pork. But one day I really wanted to cook a pot of mixed greens (collards, mustard and turnip). Being Southern I had always had them cooked with pork.

I spent a few days thinking it over. I lightly browned some onions threw in some mild chile peppers then started slowly adding my greens making sure to saute them as much as I could. When I got done they were great. That night the two guys I worked with knew that they had no meat but were blown away at how good they were. Later one guy told me he did not like greens but he had two servings.

The day shift finished them off but when they found out that they had no meat they could not belive it.
 
in many recipes wine is an ingredient and while you can make substitutions, the flavor will be different. A desert such as Tirimisu will work just fine without the liquor...the flavor will be a little different, but the rum flavor is not something you want anyway.
 
What do you do about vanilla or lemon extract, which are mostly alcohol? Could you do the same with rum extract?
 
well, i think i'm going to buy rum extract. i looked in the archives and found a reference to McCormick's website that gave substitutions. I don't have a problem using extracts even though I know they do have alot of alcohol in them.
 
Just curious, but why would you be OK using extracts that are mostly alcohol, but not using 2tbs of booze? Is it because you would have to buy a whole bottle just to use 2 tbs? Feel free not to answer if my question is too personal.
 
I think it makes lots of sense to use extracts and keep rum extract on hand. Why buy a whole bottle if you only need a smidgen? We don't drink either so I use extracts always. How long would it take to use a bottle using 2 Tbsp at a time. You'd have to do an awful lot of cooking for that.
 
I think it makes lots of sense to use extracts and keep rum extract on hand. Why buy a whole bottle if you only need a smidgen? We don't drink either so I use extracts always. How long would it take to use a bottle using 2 Tbsp at a time. You'd have to do an awful lot of cooking for that.
You could always buy nips.
 
They are the little one shot bottles of booze. They used to be served in airplanes. It is enough for one drink. You can get them at any liquor store. They are usually behind the counter with the cigarettes. A nip is only a couple of bucks depending on the type of alcohol.
 
How long would it take to use a bottle using 2 Tbsp at a time. You'd have to do an awful lot of cooking for that.
Two tablespoons is one ounce; a 375 ML bottle is the equivalent of 12.7 ounces.

You can find decent quality rum in 375 ML bottles for about $10, so it would be about 80¢ per cake.

McCormick's Imitation Rum Extract, OTOH, is about $6 for a 1-ounce bottle (2 tablespoons or 6 teaspoons) in the supermarket.
 
BTW, I found this information about McCormick's Imitation Rum Extract on the company's website:

½ teaspoon Extract = 1 tablespoon light rum
1½ teaspoons Extract = 1 tablespoon dark rum

In their recipe for rum cake, McCormick's calls for 2 tablespoons -- a full 1-ounce bottle -- of rum extract! That's too expensive, IMHO.
 
My question would be isn't your question what is a substitute for alcohol ? Many times even the weakest imitation vanilla (or other flavor) still has traces of alcohol by virtue of how they make the flavorings. Try using a reduced fruit juice as a subtitute (but even that can be converted over to an alcohol product if allowed to ferment).
 
Well, because of my Christian beliefs I would not like to be seen buying alcohol. My husband is a preacher and we do not believe in drinking of any kind. All Christians do not feel this way but my husband's father was an alcoholic. If a person saw me buying wine or any other alcohol that i could just be using for cooking and they didn't know they would naturally , like most people, assume the worst. We want to be the best examples we can for people. I guess that is my shortest and best way I can explain it. I don't mind answering it. I know extracts have alot of alcohol in them but I see them differently and they are used in very small amounts.
 
If a person saw me buying wine or any other alcohol that i could just be using for cooking and they didn't know they would naturally , like most people, assume the worst.
I am sorry you feel that way about your fellow man. I do not think most people would assume the worse at all. I believe people are good and think good for the most part. If I saw someone buying booze and I knew them to have alcoholism in the family or something else then my first though, if I even gave it a first though, would be that they are buying a gift for someone.

In my opinion, it is better to not worry what other people think about you as it really does not matter. But that is just my opinion and everyone is free to do as they wish.

For your particular recipe I would just do without. Or maybe you could have a trusted friend buy a nip for you. Someone who you know will not talk about who s/he is buying it for.
 
i guess i didn't really mean "most" people would assume the worst. it is not that i feel bad against my fellow man. it is the position my husband has as a minister and the importance of us being a good example for others. this is hard for others to understand at times but our conscience will not allow us to have alcohol in our house. people dowatch what we do. i have lived with this for 23 yrs and it is not always easy but i believe it is God's plan for our life and we have had a great life and i really don't feel that kind of pressure all the time. well, i guess we have discussed it enough. interesting to see others view points. i did drink in my college years before i became a Christian. so i do know quite a bit about the so called "other side".
 
Let us know how your Tiramisu turns out and what you used in place of the rum. I hope it comes out great!
 
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