Wine plates

Does alcohol cook off? How much stays in the dish

Myths, corrected. No. 10.

Up to 85% of the alcohol in a dish can survive the cooking

The US Department of Agriculture measured it. Wine stirred into boiling liquid and taken straight off the heat keeps about 85% of its alcohol. A flambé keeps about 75%. Simmer for 15 minutes and 40% is still there. It takes about two and a half hours of simmering to get down to 5%.

The flame is mostly theatre.

What stays in the pot

MethodAlcohol retained
Into boiling liquid, off the heat85%
Flamed75%
Marinated overnight, no heat70%
Baked 25 minutes, not stirred45%
Simmered 15 minutes40%
Simmered 1 hour25%
Simmered 2 hours10%
Simmered 2½ hours5%

Retention depends on pan size, heat and how much the dish is stirred; the table gives typical values. The practical point concerns anyone cooking for someone who does not drink.

The plate

Plate reading: Up to 85% of the alcohol survives cooking
85 per cent: how much alcohol stays when wine is added to boiling liquid and taken off the heat
Table: what stays in the pot, from 85% off the heat to 5% after two and a half hours
Save this for your next braise

Sources

  • USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007): ars.usda.gov
  • Idaho State University Health Sciences, summary of the USDA table: isu.edu
  • Augustin et al., “Alcohol retention in food preparation”, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 1992

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