sfgirl

I don't think it is that uncommon for alcoholics past a certain point to drink mouthwash to get their alcohol if for some reason they can't get it another way.It is really dangerous to drink though, even more so than just hitting the bottle of vodka.

hendershot

The absolutists have come to make their case. I think it is fine if you don't want to mess with having any alcy in anything but it is not a big deal if you do and are honest to yourself about your motives.
Look: that chart proves the point that alcohol burns off, not that it doesn't. In terms of alcohol by volume, it is minisicule after cooking even if it has only cooked for a little while. Generally in cooking you add small amounts of alcohol to a much larger volume, so in combination with heat it diffuses into a small percentage. I just tested the math on something I do not eat because the taste is too much of a trigger: marsala wine sauce. Using a recipe found online and the chart on this thread--adding half a cup of wine to the sauce and cooking minimally (just to blend flavors) will lead to a .355% of alcohol by volume (depending on how much you reduce and cook it)--one of the dishes with alcohol that requires little cooking time. I think the taste of the wine can be a psychological trigger but I don't think it is enough actual alcy for a neurochemical reaction to take place (no allergic reaction).
The question is still legit as to whether you should even mess with it and generally I don't think you should. But the chart and whole idea that because all the alcy isn't removed that you are going to die if you have a bite of something is silly.

smacked

I don't think anyone said that the charts were put up to prevent someone from dying.. per se.. however, a lot of people are trying to live completely alcohol free, and it's good to know that even with baking and stovetop prep, there is alcohol left.. often critical for MANY health conditions, allergies, folks on certain medications (including antabuse). Course, for those same people it's critical to know about mouthwash, and other toiletries that contain alcohol, to stay safe and healthy. A lot of alcoholics choose to live this way, and I absolutely respect it. Consuming alcohol is often seen as inconsistent with sobriety.

For those not wanting to live purely alcohol free, carry on! I boil my brats in NA beer, yes I know it has alcohol.. I bake with vanilla extract. I don't keep a bottle of wine handy for cooking, or a bottle of rum in the cupboard for a rum sauce. That's what works for me.

I think we all find what works best for us.. and the fact that this type of stuff is posted, means it's something to be thoughtful of TO THE POSTER and often many others.

Do what you wanna It's just always good to be aware of most things you ingest ..

joedris

Let's see. You baked a cake that called for one tsp of vanilla extract. And that tsp contained 16% alcohol. So were talking about 1/16th of a tsp of alcohol. And if the quoted figures are correct, then 25-35% of that alcohol was burned off in cooking. So we're left with .04 of a teaspoon of alcohol. In a whole cake. Lets say the cake was divided into ten slices. That leaves you with .004 of a teaspoon of alcohol per slice. Somehow I fail to see how this amount would even cause someone to worry, let alone take the position that it could lead you to drinking again.

123bubblegum123

uhm..i made meatballs with red wine..i'm pretty sure when you add heat to alcohol it dramatically decreases the alcohol content and i highly doubt it'd be enough to catch any type of buzz or induce massive cravings. however, if it's such an issue, why risk it?

NoelleR

When I was active in my addictions, alcohol ruled my life....ie: if a restaurant didn't serve alcohol, well, I just wasn't going there.....!

Now, in sobriety/recovery, I have taken control of my life back; alcohol no longer rules my life. However, if I were to decide to try to avoid ALL alcohol, no matter how much--whatever the percentage of the miniscule volume of the total of whatever is drinkable (cough medicines), eatable, gargleable or rinsdable (mouthwashes), splashable or sprayable (colognes and/or aftershaves).....well, good heavens, I'd be giving control of my life back to alcohol, and that was NOT intent upon striving for sobriety/recovery; I am still in control of my life.

I guess I'll just leave this up in the air.....shoot, I might even have an NA beer or glass of NA wine---one or two every few years, that is. The ingestion of Alcohol (as I did as an alcoholic, that is) has become a non-issue (I just don't want to drink), the same as the taking of drugs ...and when it comes to medication, I'll leave it up to the doctors and whatever works best for me; I have to remember that before I 'abused' these meds, they have always had viable 'uses.'


NoelleR