Ask Chef Mom: Does alcohol burn off during cooking?
The question: Dear Chef Mom: I made a chicken casserole and added wine to it before baking. My sister-in-law told me there was no way that I could serve that to our kids because it’s a myth that the alcohol burns off during cooking. I always heard that once you cook a food with alcohol in it, all that’s left is the flavor. Who’s right? Chef Mom says: Many people use alcohol – whether spirits, wine or beer – to add flavor to everything from roasts to cakes. But despite lore that says all the alcohol burns off when you cook it, that is not always the case! According to a 1992 study by Augustin, et al at the Department of Food Science and Toxicology, Food Research Center in Moscow, Idaho, the amount of alcohol that actually cooks off varies, depending on how long the food has been cooked, how it’s been cooked, at what temperature, and based upon the specific alcohol and food ingredients in question. In general, the longer you heat the booze, the less alcohol remains. If you simmer the foo
