Alcohol in Food and Chocolate Alcohol
Eclectics Anonymous
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 286
Alcohol in Food and Chocolate Alcohol
DH sent me a box of mixed chocolates before he left from my favorite place and I was bored and watching TV and was reading the ingredients in each of the different ones. Unfortunately, I just read this:
Chief Chokolada
Inside: Dark chocolate dressed in a dark chocolate shell with a touch of champagne.
There was a couple in the box and I ate one and my Mom ate the rest of that particular one since I am not a huge dark chocolate fan. This was about a week ago.
I am not too sure how I feel about this. A part of me knows it isn't a big deal and another part of me is kind of ticked off at the chocolate company for not labeling it more clearly. I assume the amount was very negligble since you don't have to sign for them but I still would have like to have made the choice whether to eat it or not based on the alcohol content.
This got me thinking to another question. If something is made in alcohol say boiling a bratwurst and then cooked on the grill is there any "active" alcohol left when you eat it?
Do you avoid this when eating?
Chief Chokolada
Inside: Dark chocolate dressed in a dark chocolate shell with a touch of champagne.
There was a couple in the box and I ate one and my Mom ate the rest of that particular one since I am not a huge dark chocolate fan. This was about a week ago.
I am not too sure how I feel about this. A part of me knows it isn't a big deal and another part of me is kind of ticked off at the chocolate company for not labeling it more clearly. I assume the amount was very negligble since you don't have to sign for them but I still would have like to have made the choice whether to eat it or not based on the alcohol content.
This got me thinking to another question. If something is made in alcohol say boiling a bratwurst and then cooked on the grill is there any "active" alcohol left when you eat it?
Do you avoid this when eating?
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
I avoid foods with alcohol
Here is the deal on cooking....
Here is the deal on cooking....
Cooking and Alcohol
A study conducted by the US Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Data Laboratory calculated the percentage of alcohol remaining in a dish based on various cooking methods. The results are as follows:
Preparation Method Percent of Alcohol 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, alcohol stirred into mixture:
* 15 minutes 40%
* 30 minutes 35%
* 1 hour 25%
* 1.5 hours 20%
* 2 hours 10%
* 2.5 hours 5%
Now, it may be that the amount of alcohol in a dish is modest to start with, but the fact that some of the alcohol remains could be of significant concern to recovering alcoholics, parents, and others who have ethical or religious reasons for avoiding alcohol.
And you can try these..
Booze Flavoring In Cooking
This was the September 2003 issue of theAA Grapevine.
Sweet or semisweet red wine - Carbonated cranberry drink.
Dry red wine - ½ cup carbonated cranberry drink, plus 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.
Sweet white wine - White grape juice plus 1 Tbsp. corn syrup.
Brandy - 1/4 cup apple juice plus 1 tsp brandy flavoring, or 1/4 cup apple cider with 1 tbsp peach or apricot syrup.
Rum - 1/4 cup apple juice plus 1 tbsp rum extract, or 1/4 cup pineapple juice or syrup flavored with 1 tbsp almond extract.
Sherry - Orange or pineapple juices with peach sirup.
Amaretto - 1 tbsp light corn syrup plus 1 tbsp almond extract and 1/4 cup clear apple juice.
Kirsch - Syrup or juices from cherries, raspberries, boysenberries, currnats or cider.
A study conducted by the US Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Data Laboratory calculated the percentage of alcohol remaining in a dish based on various cooking methods. The results are as follows:
Preparation Method Percent of Alcohol 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, alcohol stirred into mixture:
* 15 minutes 40%
* 30 minutes 35%
* 1 hour 25%
* 1.5 hours 20%
* 2 hours 10%
* 2.5 hours 5%
Now, it may be that the amount of alcohol in a dish is modest to start with, but the fact that some of the alcohol remains could be of significant concern to recovering alcoholics, parents, and others who have ethical or religious reasons for avoiding alcohol.
And you can try these..
Booze Flavoring In Cooking
This was the September 2003 issue of theAA Grapevine.
Sweet or semisweet red wine - Carbonated cranberry drink.
Dry red wine - ½ cup carbonated cranberry drink, plus 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.
Sweet white wine - White grape juice plus 1 Tbsp. corn syrup.
Brandy - 1/4 cup apple juice plus 1 tsp brandy flavoring, or 1/4 cup apple cider with 1 tbsp peach or apricot syrup.
Rum - 1/4 cup apple juice plus 1 tbsp rum extract, or 1/4 cup pineapple juice or syrup flavored with 1 tbsp almond extract.
Sherry - Orange or pineapple juices with peach sirup.
Amaretto - 1 tbsp light corn syrup plus 1 tbsp almond extract and 1/4 cup clear apple juice.
Kirsch - Syrup or juices from cherries, raspberries, boysenberries, currnats or cider.
Eclectics Anonymous
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 286
Wow Carol,
I didn't realize how much alcohol was left when cooking with it. I have always heard "it burns it off." Interesting. I wonder how they can sell the dishes to people under 21 in a restaurant. I am assuming because the amount is too low to really affect someone but it just seems strange.
I didn't realize how much alcohol was left when cooking with it. I have always heard "it burns it off." Interesting. I wonder how they can sell the dishes to people under 21 in a restaurant. I am assuming because the amount is too low to really affect someone but it just seems strange.
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
When I worked in restarants ...we did not serve minors
Cherries Jubillee or Crepes Susette ...but...Rum Cake was ok.
Rachel Ray...TV cook...often says alcohol is burned off
when the facts are....she's incorrect.
Makes me cringe when she says that....I think of people who
are using meds incompatible with alcohol. And then
there are those who use Antabuse in early sobriety ..
Well...I've never met anyone in AA who got there
from only eating alcohol But still....I take a pass.
Cherries Jubillee or Crepes Susette ...but...Rum Cake was ok.
Rachel Ray...TV cook...often says alcohol is burned off
when the facts are....she's incorrect.
Makes me cringe when she says that....I think of people who
are using meds incompatible with alcohol. And then
there are those who use Antabuse in early sobriety ..
Well...I've never met anyone in AA who got there
from only eating alcohol But still....I take a pass.
Belgian Sheepdog Adictee
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: In Today
Posts: 6,101
Sara being originally from Wisconsin, I do love Bratwurst. roflmao
So, I just keep some O'Douls around to boil my brats before putting them on the grill. Works great, and since O'Douls has 1/2 of 1% alcohol I am pretty sure that is totally eliminated.
Same thing when a recipe calls for wine. I have found that the Sutter Home Fre works very well in those recipes, and again since they only have 1/2 of 1% alcohol to begin with, I am pretty darn sure after all these years of using them that the alcohol burns off totally.
Has to that piece of candy you ate. I really wouldn't worry about it. But I am sure you have learned from that incident and will be reading ALL labels more carefully now.
Love and hugs,
So, I just keep some O'Douls around to boil my brats before putting them on the grill. Works great, and since O'Douls has 1/2 of 1% alcohol I am pretty sure that is totally eliminated.
Same thing when a recipe calls for wine. I have found that the Sutter Home Fre works very well in those recipes, and again since they only have 1/2 of 1% alcohol to begin with, I am pretty darn sure after all these years of using them that the alcohol burns off totally.
Has to that piece of candy you ate. I really wouldn't worry about it. But I am sure you have learned from that incident and will be reading ALL labels more carefully now.
Love and hugs,
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Laurie...
my best friend and I did an experiment.
We cooked the exact same Beef Stew only she added Burgundy.
Our dinner guests were served both ...did not know who cooked
which bowl. 4 of the 6 liked mine better.
I was quite shocked...none of them are alcoholics ...rarely drink.
Wine in food never interested me ..either way.
...Can't say the same for drinking it!
my best friend and I did an experiment.
We cooked the exact same Beef Stew only she added Burgundy.
Our dinner guests were served both ...did not know who cooked
which bowl. 4 of the 6 liked mine better.
I was quite shocked...none of them are alcoholics ...rarely drink.
Wine in food never interested me ..either way.
...Can't say the same for drinking it!
I'm just a little unwell
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 2,219
Originally Posted by Sara9009 
Inside: Dark chocolate dressed in a dark chocolate shell with a touch of champagne.
Do you avoid this when eating?
Do you avoid this when eating?
I will ask this, though: was it the kind of chocolate that had a liquid alcohol center, or was the champagne an actual component of the chocolate itself? If it was part of the actual chocolate, and not a liquid filling, I wouldn't feel as bad about it - but I would probably still avoid it IF I knew about it beforehand. I would avoid the liquid-filled ones like the plague. I've had the tequila-filled ones many times in the past and I might as well pour myself shots from the bottle!
But that's just me... I don't want to push my luck.
I haven't taken extra care to specifically avoid restaurant foods that include alcohol as part of the cooking process (like sauces made with small amounts of wine) but I DO pay attention and DON'T order things that I feel might test my boundaries. This is hard enough as it is - no need to play games with myself. But I'm not going to avoid any and every little thing just because it has .00025% alcohol in it, either.
Hope all that babble made a little bit of sense.
I'm just a little unwell
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 2,219
Originally Posted by Sara9009
Wow Carol,
I didn't realize how much alcohol was left when cooking with it. I have always heard "it burns it off."
I didn't realize how much alcohol was left when cooking with it. I have always heard "it burns it off."
I'd imagine the serving-to-underage-diners isn't an issue because the content is so low as a percentage of the total meal. I mean, if you were cooking JUST the wine from a sauce and 30% got retained, you'd be looking at 30% of 14% alcohol, so roughly 4.2% - basically the alcohol content of a weak beer. Consider now that that is mixed in with several other ingredients, and the entire portion size (if it's a sauce) is going to be around 1/4 cup... I'm sure it's considered negligible for law-enforcement purposes. It'd basically be the equivalent of about one or two sips of watered-down beer.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Northeast US
Posts: 1,340
I will eat slow-cooked things that involved *a little* alcohol. But I was at a restaurant once (in New Orleans, so ya know how it is down there) and had to pick my way through the menu verrry carefully. I did well until I got to the dessert. I picked the thing that seemed the least likely to be alcoholic- chocolate mousse. Put the first spoonful into my mouth and actually spit it out, it was like a jello shot.
In the future at fancy restaurants, and perhaps ALL restaurants in NOLA, I shall be asking after the alcohol free dishes
In the future at fancy restaurants, and perhaps ALL restaurants in NOLA, I shall be asking after the alcohol free dishes
peaceful seabird
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: floating
Posts: 4,822
The first time I heard someone publicly admit to being an alcoholic was at a restaurant. It made an impression on me.
About 10 years ago we went to a weekend event that was business related. There were about 50 people at this weekend event. At the dinner, we were seated in a private dinning room and sat at tables of 6. One couple at our table was about 15 years older than us. I remember the wife.
She was attractive and witty, always smiling. The waiter takes our drink orders and she looks him in the eye and says: "Nothing for me, I'm an alcoholic." She doesn't miss a beat and continues to be the bright star at the table laughing and being charming. After dinner, we ordered desserts. This lady and I ordered the same chocolate, multi-layered fantasy. I took a few bites and spoke up, I believe there is alcohol in this dessert. This charming lady's demeanor changed! She almost tackled the waiter trying to get his immediate attention, and reminded him that she is an alcoholic and can not have any alcohol. She asked him to remove her dish and ask the chef if it contained alcohol. It did, and she skipped dessert.
About 10 years ago we went to a weekend event that was business related. There were about 50 people at this weekend event. At the dinner, we were seated in a private dinning room and sat at tables of 6. One couple at our table was about 15 years older than us. I remember the wife.
She was attractive and witty, always smiling. The waiter takes our drink orders and she looks him in the eye and says: "Nothing for me, I'm an alcoholic." She doesn't miss a beat and continues to be the bright star at the table laughing and being charming. After dinner, we ordered desserts. This lady and I ordered the same chocolate, multi-layered fantasy. I took a few bites and spoke up, I believe there is alcohol in this dessert. This charming lady's demeanor changed! She almost tackled the waiter trying to get his immediate attention, and reminded him that she is an alcoholic and can not have any alcohol. She asked him to remove her dish and ask the chef if it contained alcohol. It did, and she skipped dessert.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: uk
Posts: 2,548
Im a bit of a fanatic i guess..........i study labels..
after shave...mouthwash....all a no no for me...
christmas time is hard work.....some companys intent on putting booze in everything.
And i love mince pies and christmas puddings.......alcohol free options are limited.
My brother in-law is a chef....and always make me a lovely rich alcohol free christmas cake.
trucker
after shave...mouthwash....all a no no for me...
christmas time is hard work.....some companys intent on putting booze in everything.
And i love mince pies and christmas puddings.......alcohol free options are limited.
My brother in-law is a chef....and always make me a lovely rich alcohol free christmas cake.
trucker
Next stop: real life
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 990
There are two nice chocolate shops in Madison, I always go to the one where you can pick what goes in the box. With the other shop it's a total crap-shoot what you get, and I'd prefer to avoid that nasty surprise.
Until recently I wouldn't even eat anything with vanilla extract in it. I'm getting more lax about what I'll eat lately... Not sure if that's a good thing or not. My reasoning is there's always going to be things made with alcohol, so I'm not going to stress about it unduly (unless, obviously, it's uncooked or I can taste it).
With the other shop it's a total crap-shoot what you get, and I'd prefer to avoid that nasty surprise.Until recently I wouldn't even eat anything with vanilla extract in it. I'm getting more lax about what I'll eat lately... Not sure if that's a good thing or not. My reasoning is there's always going to be things made with alcohol, so I'm not going to stress about it unduly (unless, obviously, it's uncooked or I can taste it).
Sober since 9th May 2008
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 2,973
Personally I wouldn't order something cooked on alcohol at a restaurant or buy it at a shop from choice, neither though would I panic if after the event I realised I'd eaten something.
Recently had a chicken pie that my mother in law had made which had had a touch of wine in it.
Didn't taste it or feel any different afterwards.
If however I had been back eating multiple pies trying to get high ............................
Its about personal choice, I've spent half my life sneaking bottles of vodka around, don't think I'm ever going to be like that about food.
Recently had a chicken pie that my mother in law had made which had had a touch of wine in it.
Didn't taste it or feel any different afterwards.
If however I had been back eating multiple pies trying to get high ............................
Its about personal choice, I've spent half my life sneaking bottles of vodka around, don't think I'm ever going to be like that about food.
Resident
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 4,150
I hate the taste of liquor filled chocolates but will admit to eating them in the past when there was nothing else around. I wouldn't touch them now because I don't like the tastes at all and I don't eat chocolate either as of last week.
Foods cooked in alcohol are still OK for me although I haven't had any since I quit. I am more of a char cooked steak and potatoes man.
Foods cooked in alcohol are still OK for me although I haven't had any since I quit. I am more of a char cooked steak and potatoes man.
Knucklehead
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Davenport, WA
Posts: 4,005
Near beer and orange juice I don't worry about. Mouthwash uses rubbing alcohol, and I'm not gonna "accidentally" swallow it. Nyquil, don't think I would use. It's 20 proof and there are other cold/flu medicines. Haven't come across any food yet, but if there was a splash of wine in some sauteed mushrooms or shrimp scampi, I don't think I would sweat it.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: uk
Posts: 2,548
Originally Posted by allport
LOL trucker no mouthwash or smellies you are the man for me.
What i meant was i use alcohol free mouthwash.........
And after shave is for.....pretty boys..lol.
im a trucker...cant go to work smelling of perfume........
anyway the wife would think im up to something.......
mergirl
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 4,161
I still have a bottle of red wine in the house I cook with. Time will tell if it is a mistake or not, but its been almost two months and I have used it once in a dish and not thought about it otherwise. All the expensive dark beer went down the sink a long time ago, and I don't think/worry about nyquil, mouthwash or candy.
Im still learning though, and I am waiting to see if the pink clouds evaporates and dumps me on my a$$=)
Im still learning though, and I am waiting to see if the pink clouds evaporates and dumps me on my a$$=)
Eclectics Anonymous
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 286
Originally Posted by laurie6781
Sara being originally from Wisconsin, I do love Bratwurst. roflmao
So, I just keep some O'Douls around to boil my brats before putting them on the grill. Works great, and since O'Douls has 1/2 of 1% alcohol I am pretty sure that is totally eliminated.
Same thing when a recipe calls for wine. I have found that the Sutter Home Fre works very well in those recipes, and again since they only have 1/2 of 1% alcohol to begin with, I am pretty darn sure after all these years of using them that the alcohol burns off totally.
Has to that piece of candy you ate. I really wouldn't worry about it. But I am sure you have learned from that incident and will be reading ALL labels more carefully now.
Love and hugs,
So, I just keep some O'Douls around to boil my brats before putting them on the grill. Works great, and since O'Douls has 1/2 of 1% alcohol I am pretty sure that is totally eliminated.
Same thing when a recipe calls for wine. I have found that the Sutter Home Fre works very well in those recipes, and again since they only have 1/2 of 1% alcohol to begin with, I am pretty darn sure after all these years of using them that the alcohol burns off totally.
Has to that piece of candy you ate. I really wouldn't worry about it. But I am sure you have learned from that incident and will be reading ALL labels more carefully now.
Love and hugs,
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