Cooking with alcohol

[NoTeaForMe]

Hi all,

As the day are getting colder we're coming up to stew time!! All the stews and casseroles we make have wine or beer in them!! Do I have to find new recipes or am I ok giving them to my 10month old?!

I thought alcohol 'cooks off' but I've also heard that's not true!!

Thanks!

[PrimaBallerina]

I'm sure it cooks off if it has time so as long as it isn't added right at the end it should be fine I reckon. No expert though.

[ComradeJing]

I think it needs to boil for 3 minutes to cook off. Or flambe it which will cook the alcohol off for sure.

[SenoritaViva]

Or you could use non alcoholic beer? (although I'd do the 3 minute boiling as well).

[Mandyville]

I had the same problem and relied on the USDA figures quoted here. I switched from wine to beer and used a long cook time (1.5 hours +). I figured that a small baby is eating a tiny amount of food, so I chose not to worry about the remaining alcohol (i.e. in a stew made with two bottles of 5% beer cooked for 1.5 hours, one would add 5 units of alcohol and eat just one unit, spread over the entire stew - my 10 month old would have eaten a couple of tablespoonsful of stew and therefore consumed almost no alcohol).

[Ama28]

I wouldnt worry too much about it - its mixed with food, it will not be like making your baby drink a shot of spirit or anything! Its just flavour - the alcohol will cook off and if it doesnt, it isnt going to hurt him in anyway witht he small quantity he will consume from it.
I like to use red wine in stews and casseroles too - i usualy stick a little glug in at the beggining so more than likely its has totally cooked off bythe end anyway.