Alcohol Substitutes for Recipes

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Zereh

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It was suggsted that I put this into it's own thread so it would be easy to find. So here it is!


[font=Comic Sans MS, Arial]Alcohol Substitutes for Recipes[/font]

[size=-1]Here's a helpful list that suggests substitutes for a variety of alcoholic beverages. Quantities and substitutes vary, depending on the recipe used.[/size]


  • [size=-1]Amaretto:[/size][size=-1] non-alcoholic almond extract; orgeat Italian soda syrup; or marzipan.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Applejack or apple brandy:[/size][size=-1] Unsweetened apple juice concentrate; apple juice; apple cider; or apple butter.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Apricot brandy:[/size][size=-1] Syrup from canned apricots in heavy syrup; or apricot preserves.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Bourbon:[/size][size=-1] Non-alcoholic vanilla extract.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Champagne and other sparkling wines:[/size][size=-1] Sparkling apple cider; sparkling cranberry juice; or sparkling grape juice.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Cherry liqueur or brandy:[/size][size=-1] Syrup from canned cherries in heavy syrup; Italian soda cherry syrup; or cherry preserves.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Coffee liqueur or brandy:[/size][size=-1] Espresso; non-alcoholic coffee extract; or coffee syrup.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Creme de cacao:[/size][size=-1] Powdered white chocolate mixed with water; non-alcoholic vanilla extract and powdered sugar.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Creme de cassis:[/size][size=-1] Black currant Italian soda syrup; or black currant jam.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Creme de menthe[/size][size=-1]: Mint Italian soda syrup; or non-alcoholic mint extract.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Gewurztraminer:[/size][size=-1] White grape juice mixed with lemon juice, water, and a pinch of powdered sugar.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Licorice or anise flavored liqueur:[/size][size=-1] Anise Italian soda syrup; or fennel.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Mirin:[/size][size=-1] White grape juice mixed with lemon juice or zest.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Muscat:[/size][size=-1] White grape juice mixed with water and powdered sugar[/size]
  • [size=-1]Orange liqueur or brandy:[/size][size=-1] Unsweetened orange juice concentrate; orange zest; orange juice; or marmalade.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Peach brandy:[/size][size=-1] Syrup from canned peaches in heavy syrup; or peach preserves.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Peppermint schnapps:[/size][size=-1] Mint Italian soda syrup; non-alcoholic mint extract; or mint leaves[/size]
  • [size=-1]Port:[/size][size=-1] Concord grape juice mixed with lime zest; or cranberry juice mixed with lemon juice[/size]
  • [size=-1]Red wine:[/size][size=-1] Grape juice; vegetable stock; cranberry juice; tomato juice; or concord grape jelly.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Riesling:[/size][size=-1] White grape juice mixed with water and a pinch of powdered sugar.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Rum:[/size][size=-1] Non-alcoholic vanilla or rum extract.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Sherry:[/size][size=-1] Apple cider; non-alcoholic vanilla extract; coffee; or coffee syrup.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Vermouth:[/size][size=-1] Apple cider; or apple juice mixed with lemon juice and water.[/size]
  • [size=-1]Vodka:[/size][size=-1] Water; apple cider or white grape juice mixed with lime juice.[/size]
  • [size=-1]White wine:[/size][size=-1] White grape juice; apple cider; apple juice; vegetable stock; or water.[/size]
:heart:
Z
 
Port:[size=-1] Concord grape juice mixed with lime zest; or cranberry juice mixed with lemon juice[/size]



Argh. No way. I'm sorry but there are things that just can't be substituted for. In cases like this I think you are better off making another dish rather than adulterating the intended taste of the dish by trying to substitute things.

Although there are some good tips in there, when it comes down to it, nothing is as good as the real deal.

My apologies for the all bold text, it shouldn't be like that.
 
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zereh thank you for this. this comes in very handy as i can't stomache alcohol anymore. even though the alcohol burns out (mostly) there's still the flavor which to me is just as bad.
 
I'm with Haggis on this .... it's better to leave it out than to use this list of "subs" and screw up the dish. I know Zereh didn't create this list - I ran across it a year or two ago ... and it's not logical if you have more than two taste buds still working (which is why I never posted it). If you've ever tasted the things being subbed and the things being used to sub them - you'll recognize the problems. Look at the things that vanilla extract is supposed to be a sub for. They don't taste anything alike!!!

Things that are flavored with herbs, spices or fruit juices can be subbed with similar herbs, spices, and fruit juices.... wine and spirits are not going to work the same.

For wine - try using Non-Alcoholic wines. They only have 0.5%-1% alcohol - compared to 12% for regular wine, but have the full flavor of regular wine. That breaks down to ... in a 2-quart pot of tomato sauce simmered for 2 hours using 1 cup of wine ... 1/4 - 1/2 DROP of alcohol as compared to 5.76 drops for regular wine.

FWIW - the two things produced by yeast in bread is CO2 and ALCOHOL. CO2 is colorless, flavorless, and odorless ... so the heady flavor and aroma of yeast bread must come from ... ???
 
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Well, I would use whatever the recipe called for myself. But not everyone drinks and some folks don't even want it in their food. And some folks may not have something on hand and want a quick replacement made from handy ingrediants.

It's a suggestion list. If it works for ya, super. If it doesn't, oh well.
 
thanks, very good info. Sometimes one needs to change a bit here or there to accomadate a guest. It's also good to have nut free and wheat free alternatives.
 
I think someone would be pretty upset at the taste their french onion soup gets from the vanilla extract or the coffee they subbed for the sherry ...:ohmy:

Common sense should dictate. Hopefully taste the proposed sub before you use it.

And, just to remind people who are concerned about alcohol content, alcohol never completely burns off and in most preparations (even flambeeing) a significant amount of it can still be present at serving.

Here's a chart:http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol12.htm
 
In most cases I would rather leave the ingredient out instead of trying to substitute something that just does not taste the same.
 
Ah, oui . . . mais . . .

Most of the alcohol contained in any alcohol ingredient is cooked off during the preparation process.

In some sense, and you'll please excuse my sensibilities here, trying to substitute something for an alcohol based ingredient is sort of like trying to do real Texas BBQ without pork fat.

But as noted by Alton Brown on "Good Eats" -- most wines in recipes are there for the acid, not the alcohol. You can use red wine vinegar (Vinegar derives from the French "vin aigre" -- sour wine.), lemon juice, etc.

But you're going to cook off the significant amounts of alcohol. Why not just use what the recipe calls for?

Pork fat won't kill ya neither. :D
 
Daphne
Go back a couple of posts and check the link in Jennyema's post. It confirms that, in many cases, a significant amount of alcohol remains in most cooking.

However, unless you avoid alcohol for medical or religeous reasons, it's well worth the minor expense for the added punch to the flavor.
 
Daphne duLibre said:
But as noted by Alton Brown on "Good Eats" -- most wines in recipes are there for the acid, not the alcohol.
This may be true, but some recipes need the alcohol specifically. There are some flavors that only come out in the presence of alcohol. The trick is knowing the reason the recipe calls for it in the first place.

On a side note, I was just in Trader Joes the other day and saw that they carry de-alcoholized wine. This is different than non alcoholic wine. This is a very good option for anyone who people who don't drink booze. Grahm Kerr (who is an alcoholic) uses de-alcoholized wine for any of his recipes that call for wine.
 
I actually don't know the difference Jenny. It has to do with the process of making the wine. Grahm Kerr was one of the first chefs that I got into on TV and I remember him talking a lot about it. He used to describe the difference, but I have long since forgotten. I seem to kind of remember him saying that de-alcoholized wines taste more like regular wine, but I could be wrong. I have never tried them myself as I enjoy the real thing :)
 
From what I've been able to find from searching a bunch of sites on the web for a couple of days .... Non-Alcoholic and De-Alcoholized wines are the same thing - the only difference being semantics (both in the US and Europe). They are both wine which is processed to reduce the level of alcohol to 0.5% or less. According to USDA labeling laws - anything that is 0.5% or less is considered non-alcoholic.

It appears that there is no way to remove all of the alcohol. If you look at the cooking with wine/spirits charts that show how much alcohol remains in a dish based on time, temperature, cooking method, etc. - it never drops all the way to 0.0%.

Some people get so freaked out about the word alcohol. If you make a cake and use some vanilla extract in it - it contains some alcohol. If you use fresh vanilla beans - there is some alcohol. A slice of yeast leavened bread contains some alcohol (yeast produces 2 by-products .... CO2 and alcohol). Even fresh squeezed orange juice contains some alcohol (according to a couple of sites I found it could range between 0.2 - 0.5%)! Alcohol is used in the manufacturing of some drugs (either as a solvent or added for it's muscle relaxing properties) ... I'm sure the list goes on ....

Alcohol adds flavor, extract flavors, or enhance flavors. It occurs naturally in nature and in some foods. I'm not advocating anyone go out and start drinking .... but rather suggesting that a little understanding and judicious use might produce a better dish than dumping immitation vanilla into a bowl of soup.

Daph - I think you're confusing South Carolina BBQ (primarily pork) with Texas BBQ (primarily beef). But, yeah - pig juice rules! :ROFLMAO:
 
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Daphne
Pig fat may not kill you - but if you are a Jew or a Muslim, then religious objections come into play.

(for the record, I am neither of the above!)
 
Ishbel said:
Daphne
Pig fat may not kill you - but if you are a Jew or a Muslim, then religious objections come into play.

(for the record, I am neither of the above!)

Also, Daphne, re the above, Texas BBQ is mostly beef! :rolleyes:
 
Andy M. said:
Daphne
Go back a couple of posts and check the link in Jennyema's post. It confirms that, in many cases, a significant amount of alcohol remains in most cooking.

However, unless you avoid alcohol for medical or religeous reasons, it's well worth the minor expense for the added punch to the flavor.

As is obvious in all of "his" posts, Daphne never fails to avoid the truth.
 

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