Recipes Passed Down. Wine (2024)

FAQs

What can I substitute for wine in a recipe? ›

No problem. Stock or bouillon will work fine in its place. A few drops of lemon juice or tomato sauce (depending on whether any is called for in the recipe) will add the needed acidity, she said. “Lemon can really brighten things up,” Epstein said.

A good substitute for a cup of white wine is a cup of broth or vegetable stock, with a splash of vinegar or lemon juice for acidity. The general rule is to add one tablespoon of vinegar for every cup of broth used. For recipes requiring ¼ cup of white wine or less, it's generally safe to omit the wine altogether.

Let's start at the beginning, wine is used in cooking for flavour. But its big advantage is natural acidity which tenderizes foods and keeps them moist. Not to get all science-y about it, but essentially the alcohol in wine, which eventually cooks off, helps the flavour molecules of the other ingredients open up.

When oxidized, the alcohol in white wine converts into acetic acid. This secondary fermentation turns the wine into vinegar, making it an ideal substitute for white wine. Vinegar is considerably more acidic though, so be sure to dilute it with equal parts water before using.

White grape juice: Use white grape juice as a substitute when you want to add sweetness, or deglaze the pan. For a punchier substitute, try mixing a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per cup of grape juice. Chicken or vegetable stock: Substitute stock for white wine when you want to add depth of flavor to a dish.

It usually takes around 2 to 3 hours for the alcohol to evaporate completely when added to a dish that is cooking on a low heat. When cooking at high heat, e.g. frying or sautéing, it can take as little as 30 seconds for the alcohol to evaporate.

Hotter temps will burn off more alcohol, and a bigger pan with more surface area will produce the same result. As a reference, here's a helpful rule of thumb: After 30 minutes of cooking, alcohol content decreases by 10 percent with each successive half-hour of cooking, up to 2 hours.

Apple Cider Vinegar

This is probably the best substitute for white wine of all. It has a similar flavour profile with the acidity and subtle sweetness of wine. You can do a direct swap here using the same amount of apple cider vinegar as you would wine.

What is a substitute for wine when deglazing? ›

Red wine vinegar as a substitute adds a layer of acidity to dishes that you may not get out of a dry red wine. Red wine vinegar is delicious in sauces, marinades, and for deglazing your pan.

If you prefer not to use Wine, you can substitute 3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar + chicken or beef broth to make 3/4 cup.

And here's a pro tip – white wine often works just as well as red if you're trying to add a little flavor and depth to tomato sauce. While red wine bumps up the richness for a more robust sauce, white wine contributes a delicate fruity flavor that's unexpected and often delightful.

At first glance, combining red wine and cola sounds like sacrilege, but don't knock it until you try a Kalimotxo (sometimes written as it is pronounced, Calimocho). This easy-drinking combination originated in the 1920s, in the Old Port area of Algorta, a coastal town in the Basque region of Spain.

Choose a wine with depth and acidity. Wines with high acidity levels like sauvignon blanc or chardonnay make excellent cooking companions. Don't use an old white wine. While most wines improve with a bit of age, this isn't always applicable to white wines.

Apple Cider Vinegar

This is probably the best substitute for white wine of all. It has a similar flavour profile with the acidity and subtle sweetness of wine. You can do a direct swap here using the same amount of apple cider vinegar as you would wine.

The stuff sold as “cooking wine” is usually (cheap) regular wine that has salt added to it to make it taste bad if you drink it. This allows “cooking wine” to be sold in places where sale of alcoholic beverages is not allowed. Most “cooking wine” has the same amount of alcohol as comparable drinking wine.

Some extracts can be used in place of alcohol, for example, rum extract plus water in place of rum. Other substitutes include coffee creamers and coffee syrups. However, amounts vary widely and are not equal. It's best to test, beginning with small amounts and increasing as necessary.

However, balsamic vinegar has a richer and more complex flavor, and it is less acidic. Most vinegar has a tartness, but both red wine and balsamic vinegar are balanced with sweetness, making one a suitable substitute for the other in equal amounts. What's more, the flavor distinctions are not very noticeable.