Does alcohol slow cook out?

[tiddlerthefish]

Probably a very stupid question.

I've made a pork and cider casserole for dinner. DD (3) has got home from preschool and decided instead of the leftover savoury mince she requested this morning, she'd like to try the casserole.

I'm delighted because she never wants to try new things (autistic, quite restricted diet) but am I ok to give it to her considering it's got over half a bottle of cider in it? It'll have been cooking for about eight hours, first two on high.

Yeah, all the alcohol should be "cooked out"

My 3 dc all had meals with alcohol in from weaning......

They all still alive and healthy so 🤷🏻‍♀️

Nothing to worry about fed the child the pork

The advice tends to be the longer it’s cooked the “safer” it is. Given the small quantity a toddler will eat the alcohol content would be minimal. If it would give you more peace of mind why don’t you pop a small serve for her in a saucepan and give it another cook at a higher temp on the stovetop. Can add some extra stock or tomatoes to save it drying out.

Yes, eight hours and only half a cider will be non alcoholic at this point

Fine, my 3 year old had this same dish on Monday and Tue (did double) she loved it

If you see steam the alcohol is already gone, as it has a lower boiling point.

Thanks all. A clear plate! I might try coq au vin with her next week

I’m so glad I saw this thread.
A friend really disapproved recently when I have my ds 4 and 1 a steak and ale stew.

My reasoning was that there was not even half a bottle of real ale in the entire thing. Probably about one unit of alcohol. They didn’t even eat 1/4 portion so say 0.25 units of alcohol at most. But by the time it had cooked for 9 hours in slow cooker the alcohol surely was negligible. Particularly the one year olds who had about two table spoons of the sauce with mashed potato.

Yet I really felt judged about this.... and when I looked I couldn’t see a hard and fast rule about what’s Deemed as safe and what isn’t so I couldn’t go back to her to prove I was right and she was dramatic!!

Cooked food is fine. Boozy trifle or tiramisu probably not.

It doesn’t cook out quite as much as you’d expect according to a test I read in New Scientist, but given that it’s been cooked for a 8 hours and it was only half a bottle of cider a toddler sized portion should be fine as a one off. If she really likes it then you can make it with apple juice in future.