Alternative to Wine

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marissa82

Assistant Cook
Joined
Nov 13, 2005
Messages
25
what's the most ideal ingredient to red wine or any other type of wine in recipes such as pasta etc
i always have problems when i cook something that requires wine as i can't add it due to religious reasons
any advice appreciated
 
marissa, welcome to Discuss Cooking. You'll like it here.

Depending on the recipe, you can just skip the wine, or substitute water, broth, fruit juice, etc.
 
Hi Marissa - a big warm welcome to DC!!! :chef:

I'm not able to eat (consume) any alcohol either, and I've found that depending on the recipe you are using stock of some sort is often the best thing to replace alcohol with. Try to match your stock (broth) with the type of dish, so if a chicken recipe called for white wine use chicken or turkey stock. Sometimes milk/cream or apple (or other jucies) can replace wine too, and a simple sugar syrup, fruit juice or a light caramel can sometimes work with desserts like poached or baked fruits :)
 
thanks for the warm welcome
yeah i usually simply ignore the wine bit and it comes out great, but i always wonder how much better it would taste if i added at least anything else...so i guess i'll go with stock
for some reason my mum always tells me to add vinegar instead of wine, i've never actually tried that, it sounds too out of place
what do u guys think abt that?
 
Hi Marissa, I think that if it was a small amount of wine (aka a TBSP) you could do it, but other wise a lot of vinegar could really warp a recipe! Imagine a stew recipe that called for two cups of red wine, I tend to think that 2 cups of vinegar could make it taste awful and very bitter/sour/acid. It's not a bad thought though to add a little hint of vinegar if a recipe called for wine. (I love balsamic vinegar for cooking :))
 
I wouldn't replace the entire wine amount with the same amount of vinegar!

Depending on the size of the recipe, a tablespoon or two would freshen the taste of the dish without giving it a vinegary taste. Try a little and then add more if you think it is working.
 
I'm not that crazy about red wine as a rule, so I use stock instead for most things.
My ex MIL was a teetotler, but she would eat my fruitcake, which I doused with Apricot brandy once a week for 4 weeks before Christmas. I think her reasoning was that if it was in food, it was OK.
 
Welcome to the site. Like the others have said, it depends on the recipe. Some recipes will lend themselves very well to a substitute,but others will not. Chicken or veal marsala, for instance, can not be made without wine. There is nothing else that will give you that specific flavor and since that is the main flavor of the dish then it really does need the wine. Luckily for you this type of dish is the minority.

Stock or juices often work well as subs. If the dish uses the wine for the fruity taste then try using juice. You mom probably suggested vinegar for it's acidity. Like Andy said, don't use the same amount as you would wine. Start with just a little and see how it goes. You could also try something like lemon or lime juice (again depending on the recipe) if it is the acidity you are after.

If you want, post some specific recipes and we can help you figure out some good alternatives for the alcohol.
 
you wouldnt be consuming "alcohol" as it is evaporated by cooking.

That being said, balsamico adds a nice bite.
 
Northern Rocker said:
you wouldnt be consuming "alcohol" as it is evaporated by cooking.
In most cases this is not true. Here is a chart that will show you how much alcohol is actually left after cooking. You would be surprised at the amounts.
 
GB said:
In most cases this is not true. Here is a chart that will show you how much alcohol is actually left after cooking. You would be surprised at the amounts.

GB makes a good point, but there is one other thing to keep in mind when looking at those numbers - That's the percentage of ALCOHOL that remains.

On average, a cup of wine will only be about 12-14% alcohol by volume. So you end up looking at a percentage of a relatively small amount in most cases.

I bring this up because whenever this issue comes up, sometimes people forget to look at just why they're looking for alternatives. If you are seeking to avoid all alcohol, then this would be an issue. If you need to limit it, it may not be. If you have health concerns, it's probably best to ask your doctor.

Just one last footnote, if you really are looking to avoid all alcohol, make sure to avoid anything that uses active yeast (yes, I'm being serious). Yeast consume sugars and give off carbon dioxide and alcohol. So when your bread or doug rises, there are amounts of alcohol being created. Yes, this is taking it to the extreme, but I only mention it as a datapoint.. :)


(What, y'all didn't think I had up and left, did ya?)

John
 
The alcohol changes and joins other compounds during cooking as the water is boiled off. It's there in other forms, and as such it has other properties. But enough of chemistry.

THe question was a substitution not a justification. A light brine with stock, vinegar (cider or malt), brown sugar, salt and herbs would be great for many dishes. If the dish requires a sweet taste, then go with fruit juice.
 
marissa82 said:
thanks for the warm welcome
yeah i usually simply ignore the wine bit and it comes out great, but i always wonder how much better it would taste if i added at least anything else...so i guess i'll go with stock
for some reason my mum always tells me to add vinegar instead of wine, i've never actually tried that, it sounds too out of place
what do u guys think abt that?

How about a wine vinegar?

And have you spoken to your local clergyman? While imbibing alcohol is frowned upon, would cooking with it be? I'd ask his advice since a LOT of the alcohol is burned off...

Finally, they do make virgin wines... You might want to look at them for cooking...

Commercial cooking wines contain no alcohol, since it would evaporate during cooking, and they are not fit or made for drinking.
http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/glossary.asp?akw=&id=37344&catitemid=
 
Hmmm... question....

So here is the scenerio... you are making pasta sauce.. you add all the usual ingrediants then you add the wine. And well you let it sit and simmer for the while you usually let it simmer for.

So... here is the question... boiling temp is 132 and alcohol boils away at what... in the 110 degree area I believe (help me with this, it's been a long time since organic chem). So ... here is the question... is it still wine? I mean, what is wine made after grape products after all. Wine is a fermented, ie alcoholic, juice. If you boil the fermented part away, what is left over?
 
While the alcohol will eventually cook off (though it takes a lot longer than originally believed), the remainng liquid is still wine. If you tasted it, you'd know it wasn't fresh squeezed grape juice.
 
You could try sparkling grape juice, or non-alconolic wine. Grape juice is generally much sweeter than wine, as the sugars have not fermented. If you want to use grape juice, get the unsweetened version if available, and if not, get the naturally sweetened juice.
All this talk of wine is making me thirsty...:)
 
Can you use cooking wine? If yes, it is an okay substitute for some recipes. Maybe some fancy or balsamic vinegar could be used. Some times, I use grape or apple juice, some times there is nothing you can do, you need wine and then you'll have to avoid those recipes. Good luck, I know how you feel.
 
Alcohol is a required flavour in a lot of foods, i.e Port and Stilton sauce, but unless cooking for 100 peple the amount reqired is mimimal, and with the chart I looked at the alcohol will be boiled off to a degree where only the flavour remains. After it is the flavour we want.

In the kitchen I use cooking wine, which is mostly de-alcoholised wine with some normal wine and salt in it. If you are picky about this then this is probably your best solution as practically all but a miniscule amount is left.
 
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