Does the alcohol in wine affect cooking process?
When cooking with wine or other booze does the alcohol have an affect on the cooking process?
Example: deglazing a pan or making a wine-based sauce. My understanding is that the alcohol evaporates quickly, so the booze is mostly there to add flavor and act as a liquid medium, and thus substitutible by another liquid, e.g. stock. Is there more going on than this?
Best Answer
Alcohol serves two functions, depending on your recipe: It is a solvent for certain compounds that do not dissolve as readily in water alone, and it is a mild acid. The former reason is why the "alla vodka" sauce uses vodka (the alcohol boosts the tomato flavor, completely overwhelming the subtle flavor of the vodka itself). The latter is why many cooks add a shot of brandy to beef stew shortly before serving, to "brighten" the flavor.
By the way, while much of the alcohol cooks off, unless you cook your sauce nearly dry, a good bit will remain. For a very boozy sauce (like the glaze for cherries jubilee), many cooks ignite the sauce to accelerate the removal of excess alcohol, but even then, a small amount will remain behind.
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Quick Answer about "Does the alcohol in wine affect cooking process?"
The longer you cook, the more alcohol cooks out, but you have to cook food for about 3 hours to fully erase all traces of alcohol. A study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Data lab confirmed this and added that food baked or simmered in alcohol for 15 minutes still retains 40 percent of the alcohol.Does alcohol content reduce in cooking?
Cooking will always result in some, but not total loss of alcohol. The most effective way of reducing the amount of alcohol is by evaporation during cooking. Despite common misconception, flaming results in much smaller amounts of alcohol burn-off.Does alcohol in marinade cook off?
Marinating does not tenderize meat, and alcohol doesn't either. Only slicing, pounding and cooking can tenderize meat. In fact, alcohol will, in effect, cook the surface, keeping the meat from absorbing the marinade. If you cook off the alcohol first, the meat will absorb the full flavor of the fruit of the wine.What happens to the alcohol in wine when you cook with it?
She responded that there was nothing to worry about\u2014during cooking the alcohol burns off. Luckily, he opted to leave. It is true that some of the alcohol evaporates, or burns off, during the cooking process.Can you eat food cooked with wine?
Per the USDA, you have to cook, simmer or boil a dish that contains wine for more than 2 1/2 hours to remove the alcohol. Accordingly, if you must prepare a dish with wine, only give it to your kids if it's been cooked longer than that so the alcohol evaporates. Use extra caution with younger children and infants.Does Alcohol Really Burn Off When Cooked?
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Answer 2
The alcohol aids in extracting flavour enhancing compounds which may be more soluble in alcohol than in water.
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