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Diabetes & Cooking With Alcohol
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ALCOHOL IN YOUR RECIPES What if you and/or your doctor decide that you should not cook with alcohol? What substitutions can you make in our recipes and others which call for wine, beer, liqueurs, etc.?
In desserts, substitute fruit juice for the wine, adding a dash of balsamic vinegar to the juice. For orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, use an equivalent amount of frozen orange juice concentrate, plus some grated orange zest (peel). For coffee liqueur, use double-strength espresso or instant coffee, made with 4 to 6 times the amount of coffee normally used. For brandy or rum, try a small amount of brandy or rum extract, or pure vanilla extract. OTHER ALCOHOL ALTERNATIVES Sometimes you want the flavor of specialty liqueurs without all the alcohol (or calories). What's the answer? In addition to the suggestions above you can try liqueur extracts. Rum extract is probably the most common. You can also find liqueur extracts for brandy, amaretto, Kahlua, and Grand Marnier. These make good substitutes for the alcohol called for in your favorite desserts and sauces. For every 2 Tablespoons alcohol called for in the recipe, use 1 teaspoon liqueur extract plus 1-1/2 Tablespoons water to replace the lost liquid. Look for liqueur extracts in the
baking aisle of large supermarkets or in coffee shops and specialty food stores.
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When we published an article on diabetes and alcohol, by Peter
Nebergall, PhD, it covered the combined effects of alcohol, diabetes and medications.
It also included a general guideline on how to count alcoholic drinks in a meal plan and
emphasized that use of alcohol should be discussed with your physician and health care
team. But what about cooking with alcohol? This may be of concern to some of you as we occasionally call for alcohol in our recipes --- it’s an excellent way to add flavor to foods. Most, but not ALL of the alcohol disappears or evaporates during cooking. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has published the following table of alcohol content in cooked foods. You might find the results interesting and helpful in your cooking of other recipes which include alcohol. Refer to the sidebar to your left for some handy suggestions for alcohol substitutes in your recipes. Preparation Method Alcohol Retained Alcohol added to boiling
Alcohol flamed 75% No heat, stored overnight 70% Baked, 25 minutes, alcohol Baked or simmered, alcohol 15 minutes 40% 30 minutes 35% 1 hour 25% 1.5 hours 20% 2 hours 10% 2.5 hours 5% Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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