Assessing the RiskWith the prevalence of alcohol abuse and alcoholism in the United States—over seventeen million people—questions about foods containing or prepared with alcohol are a common and legitimate concern. For example, if the recipe calls for brandy, you can use apple juice, white grape juice, or apple cider. For recipes that require red wine, use beef broth or even unsweetened cranberry juice. If you love to cook but are trying to stay sober, you shouldn’t use alcohol at all during cooking or baking. If you choose a recipe that contains alcohol, find ways of substituting it so that you don’t have it in the house. Recovery can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone.

You don’t have to struggle with an alcohol addiction on your own when there’s help available. At Promises, we provide the assistance you need to understand what led to the addiction in the first place and how you can break free from it. With a variety of treatment programs, we can help you find what works best for your needs.

When alcohol is used as an ingredient in food preparation, it serves multiple culinary purposes. It can enhance flavor and texture, tenderize meats, and act as a solvent for flavors not as soluble in water. Ethanol, the type of alcohol typically found in beverages, is metabolized primarily in the liver, but a portion may also occur in the stomach. The liver processes about one drink, equivalent to 1/2 ounce of ethanol, per hour for the average person.

Can Alcohol in Food Affect Recovery?

Perhaps you’re struggling to find alternatives to the alcohol recommended within certain recipes. In this case, you can take it as a good opportunity to expand your cooking skills and learn new techniques and ingredients you can incorporate into your cooking to avoid using any alcohol. It’s certainly a good idea to ask for their input as to whether they’re comfortable with alcohol content in their food; it’s likely they’ll appreciate your consideration.

Contact a Recovery Advocate today to take the first step toward living an alcohol-free life. For individuals in recovery from substance use or those recovering from illness or surgery, the presence of alcohol in food can pose potential risks. The liver, which is central to detoxification, can be affected by even small amounts of alcohol. Even if the alcohol in food is likely to be cooked off, for some people having just a tiny bit of alcohol or the taste of alcohol may be enough to act as a powerful cue.

1. When alcohol is used as an ingredient in food preparation, it serves multiple culinary purposes.
2. All Johns Hopkins affiliates can take eCHECKUP TO GO for personalized feedback on how much alcohol is too much for their body and steps they can take to stick to their limit.
3. Recovery is a challenging journey that requires vigilance, discipline, and a commitment to complete abstinence.
4. Though simmering a pot roast at 185° for 2 ½ hours removed 95% of the red wine added, 25 minutes of baking at 375° F retained 45% of the dry sherry in scalloped oysters.

Is it OK to cook with alcohol if you’re in recovery?

Remaining cognizant of these foods and your recipe choices is important. For some recovering alcoholics, consuming foods with alcohol in them can be extremely upsetting. Despite their not knowing about the alcohol being present before eating, they could take it to mean a relapse. Some will even use it as a means of justifying a return to alcohol use and abuse. So, whether you’re making beer batter or something else, please be aware that it’s likely for some small portion of the alcohol to remain. As for the alcohol retention in cooked food, the factors include cooking time, temperature, and method.

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75% alcohol retention was noted when using the flaming method of cooking. 70% of the alcohol persisted when using no heat and storing the food overnight. 45% of the alcohol remained when baked for 25 minutes with the mixture not being stirred. I have been insanely obsessive about not ingesting any speck of alcohol since my hard road to sobriety.

So, if you cook with alcohol, you will can alcoholics have food cooked with alcohol be consuming some of that alcohol when you eat the dish. That said, most dishes use so little alcohol in their recipes that you won’t be consuming enough of it to possibly get you drunk. Understanding the metabolism and retention of alcohol in food is crucial, especially for individuals in recovery from substance use or those with specific health concerns where alcohol intake must be monitored or restricted.