Misguided

I've seen a few threads where people avoid alcohol 100% including if it would be in foods or meals. If I know the alcohol has not been cooked out of the food I try to avoid it.

I didn't even realize the amount of alcohol in vanilla extract until someone had a thread about it here. I have not thrown my vanilla out, btw...I was just shocked when I actually looked at the label.

So who avoids the foods completely that contain it, makes substitutions when cooking, etc? Sometimes I have a really hard time finding a substitution.

For example, I made bread pudding last week and was trying to find a substitution for rum in the rum sauce. Well, I found a recipe containing vanilla and figured I found a substitution. I was shocked to find out I was wrong, but I also didn't feel an urge to drink or eat the entire left over sauce when everyone was done with the dessert. Not to mention, I probably would have ended up a diabetic before feeling anything from the vanilla in the sauce.

sugarbear1

rum extract.

Some people are sensitive to any kind of alcohol, but most of us can tolerate it in small amounts. Extract might be 35% alcohol, but a teaspoon used in a large dessert, well, I've never had a desire to drink after eating dessert. I don't eat desserts with liquor poured over it, though. That might help me to make a really poor decision.....

Some people can't use perfumes or mouthwash with alcohol in it. Some can.

I don't eat rum sauces or cook with wine, I never enjoyed that anyway. I always preferred drinking my alcohol!

I don't consider eating dessert a slip or relapse. I just enjoy it.

Is the extract cooked out of ice cream? Sometimes, sometimes not. It depends upon the recipe used.

It's a personal decision.

MrsKing

When I go out to restaurants, I figure that I'm never going to know what has gone into my food, and I'm not about to ask the waiting staff whether there's any alcohol in any of it, because I'm pretty sure most of the time they wouldn't know anyway. If I see something on a menu with a red wine jus, or something like that, I'd probably not order it, but I'm not sure why, because I'm pretty certain I've probably ingested alcohol a number times without realising when eating out. I don't generally eat deserts or cakes, but I often bake and use vanilla extract on a regular basis. I'd never be tempted to drink it. If I do have a slice of something I've baked, I don't worry about the small amount of alcohol that a teaspoon of it spread out over an entire cake would do to me... and it's probably been cooked off anyway, right?

Generally, I try not to think about what may or may not be in the food. I wouldn't purposefully add alcohol to my cooking at home and if it was glaringly obvious on a menu then I'd probably avoid it but... I'm never going to be certain that I'll never have it in my body ever again. It's just impossible.

Mouthwash and all that stuff - never been an issue.

Justfor1

There are a ton of household/kitchen products that a person can get drunk off of. I resorted to this when the liquor stores stopped selling or I didn't have money & used my food stamps to purchase. If you are cooking it than the alcohol should burn off.

SlimSlim

It's a common misconception that alcohol burns off during cooking:

The conventional wisdom accepted by just about everyone in the food world is that all the alcohol you add to a dish evaporates or dissipates during cooking. It’s wrong. In fact, you have to cook something for a good 3 hours to eradicate all traces of alcohol. Some cooking methods are less effective at removing alcohol than just letting it stand out uncovered overnight. (see chart below)

Chefs and cooks can't assume that when they simmer, bake, or torch (flambé to the more sophisticated cook) with alcohol that only the flavor remains when they're ready to serve. A study conducted several years ago showed that alcohol remained in several recipes after the preparation was complete. In the study, a pot roast was simmered with burgundy for 2 1/2 hours; a chicken dish was simmered for only 10 minutes after the burgundy was added; scalloped oysters made with dry sherry baked for 25 minutes; and cherries jubilee was doused with brandy, then ignited. The results showed that anywhere from 4 to 78 percent of the initial amount of alcohol remained when the dishes were done. The study's authors concluded that cooking will result in the removal of some, but not all, of the alcohol.

Source: Questions and Answers - Alcohol Burn Off in Cooking, Alcohol Evaporation In Cooking, Does Alcohol Burn Off During Cooking?

The web page also has a chart which shows how much alcohol remains with different cooking techniques.

Justfor1

I was on Antabuse years ago & had a piece of cake. I did not know it had rum in it and I did not have the antabuse reaction. If it had a significant amount of booze in it than I would of turned red, fast heart rate & vomited.

Jfanagle

Other than something that is obviously very heavily alcohol laden I don't worry about dishes that have alcohol as an additive. As I explained to a lady friend one time when she suggested that a particular beef dish that had a wine sauce might be detrimental to my "non-drinking" lifestyle; "when and if I decide to begin drinking again, it will not start with a large glass of gravy!"

Not to make light of other folks stance on alcohol in cooking, I have enjoyed a sober life for the past 13 years by simply using common sense and making sure that my motives are not to consume something because it has alcohol in it. This is my choice I am sure others have differing points of view and I would never try and persuade them otherwise.

Jon

FlyerFan

I just totally avoid it at all costs, with the exception of my mouthwash, and i have no desire to drink that stuff, yuck, lol. I can just imagine it burning the hell out of my stomach if i did, lol.

However if someone else is cooking and they do not tell me about alcohol in the food, i usually can not even tell. but if I know about it I wont have any, just to be safe.

flutter

For the first year or two actually I avoided all alcohol. It was pointless and flirting with disaster for me to enjoy cooking with and tasting alcohol when it had almost killed me.. regardless of the "I wont get drunk off this piece of cake" thing, for ME it was flirting too close.

Now, however after 3+ years I'm a bit more relaxed about it.. I don't seek out dishes with alcohol, and honestly the non alcoholic variety (beer) works just as well in soups, stews, and boiling brats in.

It's a pretty personal thing.

todd6138

I din't realize it until I was informed, but even Diet colas with aspartame have traces of wood alcohol which for me, did trigger a craving. I was drinking it all day and couldn't figure it out.. Just sayin..

Dee74

Alcohol Burn-off Chart

D

Sudz No More

I have never had a problem with wine being cooked with. Some dishes will just not taste the same without wine. Beer might be a problem for me if the taste is too strong in the food but my main relapse mechanism is mental impulse. Getting a little from food doesn't make me crave any more than my brain already does.

CarolD

I was raised in a non drinking religious family
3 generiations of good cooks....
who did not cook anything with alcohol.
I have not found it necessary either

People still come to dinner ....

Swash10

I do a lot of cooking and have decided against using any sort of alcohol just in case. Ive substituted red wine jus and deep stocks involving wine or stout for fruitier ones with redcurrants and dark chocolate etc.

sugarbear1

I was on antabuse and ate some wine cheese and felt sick, not the horrible sick, just nauseous and sick.

We are all different!

BillyPilgrim

I was at a friends recently, and avoided her sherry trifle (even though I love trifle) because of the sherry. I opted for the fruit salad, which she later announced she had poured wine into it!

I doubt if there was much because I did not notice any taste of alcohol

It is all about being sensible, good bread is slightly alcoholic, and I am not going to give up good bread.

MrsKing

TRIFLE! My absolute favourite. When someone tells me they're making trifle I get SO excited until they inform me that they've put god knows how much sherry into it. I've never liked sherry trifle. I don't understand why people ruin a perfectly delicious desert with that awful stuff!

Anyway... sorry... rant over!!

Charon

Alcohol Burn-off Chart
Preparation Method Percent Retained
alcohol added to boiling liquid & removed from heat 85%
alcohol flamed 75%
no heat, stored overnight 70%
baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred into mixture 45%
Baked/simmered dishes with alcohol stirred into mixture:
15 minutes cooking time 40%
30 minutes cooking time 35%
1 hour cooking time 25%
1.5 hours cooking time 20%
2 hours cooking time 10%
2.5 hours cooking time 5%


Alcoholic Ingredient Description Substitution
Amaretto Italian almond-flavored liqueur Almond extract.
Beer or ale Various types. For light beers, substitute chicken broth, ginger ale or white grape juice. For heavier beers, use a stronger beef, chicken or mushroom broth or stock. Non-alcoholic beers may also be substituted.
Brandy Liquor made of distilled wine or fruit juice. Scotch or bourbon. If a particular flavor is specified, use the corresponding fruit juice, such as apple, apricot, cherry, peach, raspberry etc. or grape juice. Corresponding flavored extracts can be used for small amounts.
Calvados Apple brandy Apple juice concentrate or juice.
Chambord Black raspberry liqueur Raspberry juice, syrup or extract.
Champagne Sparkling white wine. Sparkling white grape juice, ginger ale, white wine.
Claret Light red wine or Bordeaux. Non-alcoholic wine, diluted currant or grape juice, cherry cider syrup.
Cognac Aged, double-distilled wine or fermented fruit juice. Cognac is considered the finest brandy. Other less expensive brandies may be substituted, as well as Scotch or whiskey, or use peach, apricot or pear juice.
Cointreau French, orange-flavored liqueur. Orange juice concentrate or regular orange juice that has been reduced to a thicker consistency.
Curacao Liqueur made from bitter Seville oranges. Orange juice frozen concentrate or reduced fresh orange juice.
Creme de menthe Thick and syrupy, sweetened mint liqueur. Comes both clear and green. Mix spearmint extract or oil with a little water or grapefruit juice. Use a drop of food coloring if you need the green color.
Framboise French raspberry liqueur. Raspberry juice or syrup.
Frangelico Italian hazelnut liqueur. Hazelnut or almond extract.
Galliano Golden Italian anise liqueur. Licorice extract.
Grand Marnier French liqueur, orange-flavored. Orange juice frozen concentrate or reduced fresh orange juice.
Grappa Italian grape brandy. Grape juice or reduced red wine.
Grenadine Pomegranate syrup, sometimes alcoholic. Pomegranate syrup or juice.
Hard Cider Fermented, alcoholic cider. Apple cider or juice.
Kahlua Syrupy Mexican liqueur made with coffee and cocoa beans. Strong coffee or espresso with a touch of cocoa powder.
Kirsch (Kirchwasser) Colorless liqueur made of cherries. Black cherry, raspberry, boysenberry, currant, or grape juice or syrup, or cherry cider.
Red Burgundy Dry French wine. Non-alcoholic wine, red wine vinegar, grape juice.
Red wine Sweet or dry wine. Non-alcoholic wine, beef or chicken broth or stock, diluted red wine vinegar, red grape juice diluted with red wine vinegar or rice vinegar, tomato juice, liquid from canned mushrooms, plain water.
Rum Liquor distilled from molasses or sugar syrup. For light rum, use pineapple juice flavored with almond extract. For dark rum, use molasses thinned with pineapple juice and flavored with almond extract. Or use rum extract flavoring.
Sake Fermented rice drink. Rice vinegar.
Schnapps Flavored, colorless liquor. Use corresponding flavored extract such as peppermint, peach, etc.
Sherry Fortified dessert wine, sweet or dry, some with a slightly nutty flavor. Orange or pineapple juice.
Southern Comfort Bourbon mixed with peach liqueur. Peach nectar mixed with a little cider vinegar.
Tequila Liquor made of the agave plant. Cactus nectar or juice.
Triple Sec Orang-flavored liqueur. Orange juice frozen concentrate or reduced fresh orange juice.
Vermouth Wine-based drink infused with herbs, sweet or dry. For sweet, use non-alcoholic sweet wine, apple or grape juice or balsamic vinegar. For dry, use non-alcoholic white wine, white grape juice or white wine vinegar.
Whiskey (whisky) Distilled liquor. Bourbon, Scotch and whiskey may be used interchangably. Small amounts may be eliminated. Large amounts cannot be effectively substituted.
White Burgundy Dry French wine. Non-alcoholic wine, white grape juice diluted with white wine vinegar.
White wine Sweet or dry wine. Non-alcoholic wine, chicken broth or stock, diluted white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, white grape juice diluted with white wine vinegar, ginger ale, canned mushroom liquid, water. For marinades, substitute 1/4 cup vinegar plus 1 Tbsp sugar plus 1/4 cup water.

Misguided

All interesting answers so far. I have noticed some people that say they can't even have the mouthwash or vanilla in the house and I start to wonder if these things are supposed to be completely off limits or if I'm doing something wrong. I'm very scared to end up back where I was that I'm cautious but don't want to live my entire life on eggshells - especially this far into being sober. I know that really this is all up to me and I know what my triggers are - mouthwash and vanilla would not be it. lol

I'm also a very curious person to see the differences and similarities in alcoholics. Sometimes it just makes me feel a little more comfortable in my sobriety.

Ginzo45

Good topic. I actually ran into this problem a couple weeks ago at over 1 month sober. I was cooking brats on the grill, and I always boil them in onions and beer first. I thought about it for awhile, and then bought a 40 oz'er and boiled them up. I got them in the pot as soon as I got the beer home because it was hot, and that 40 was looking real frosty!! I'm not ever going to try to avoid it in food. I like the taste of wine cooked down in sauces and gravies. I just can't drink it.

I never thought of boiling them in non-alcohol beer. I'll do that next time.