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Cooking with Alcohol

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Does alcohol really cook off?

Alcohol added to a recipe may cook off, but it depends on how long you cook it. The USDA prepared the following table of alcohol content in cooked foods. It provides some very interesting information. You can compare your recipe directions to the table to determine how much alcohol is left.

Cooking with Alcohol Retention Chart


Preparation Method Percent Retained
No heat applied, immediate consumption 100%
Alcohol added to boiling liquid & removed from heat 85%
Flamed 75%
No heat; stored overnight 70%
Baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred into mixture 45%
Baked/simmered, alcohol stirred into mixture:  
15 minutes 40%
30 minutes 35%
1 hour 25%
1.5 hours 20%
2 hours 10%
2.5 hours 5%

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