Cooking question

[elendiari22.livejournal.com]

I'm making a chicken dish for dinner tomorrow, and it calls for a cup of white wine. My question is, is there a non-alcoholic substitute for white wine? I was thinking white grape juice, but I figured that since this is a cooking community, I'd do better asking than assuming. Anyone know?

~Elen

Comments

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

What about white-wine vinegar?

[surgicalsteel.livejournal.com]

Likely that'll be a bit too acid - at least it was the couple of times I tried it. Perhaps white wine vinegar cut half and half with chicken broth so you get the flavor of the wine but not so much acidity.

[elendiari22.livejournal.com]

That might work. Thanks!

[surgicalsteel.livejournal.com]

White grape juice would likely work, as would chicken broth (although it wouldn't give you the grapey flavor). I'd make sure that the grape juice doesn't have sugar added, though, otherwise your dish is likely to be a bit sweeter than you're intending. Ginger ale might work, too - I've heard it should work, but haven't ever tried it. I've usually used chicken broth (I get the Swanson broth in resealable boxes) when I didn't have wine in the house, which is hardly ever. These days I get those little four-packs of single serving bottles of wine and keep them around. They're not terribly expensive, and one of those little bottles (like they serve on airplanes) is about a cup of wine.

[elendiari22.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I think I'll try the chicken broth with the white wine vinegar. That sounds like it should work.

[surgicalsteel.livejournal.com]

Hope your dish turns out delish! :)

[monkey5s.livejournal.com]

According to the website about.com, in their Alcohol Cooking Substitutions (http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol6.htm) page, these are listed as substitutes:

Non-alcoholic wine, chicken broth or stock, diluted white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, white grape juice diluted with white wine vinegar, ginger ale, canned mushroom liquid, water. For marinades, substitute 1/4 cup vinegar plus 1 Tbsp sugar plus 1/4 cup water.

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

Wine changes when you cook with it, and most of the alcohol content evaporates anyway, if that's what worries you. I used to try to substitute for things like wine or brandy and finally gave up on it. The flavor is just different when you use the real stuff.

[elendiari22.livejournal.com]

The deep irony is that when we finally got to the grocery store and I mentioned the wine substitutes, my mom gave me a puzzled look and said, "We have red and white wine at home for cooking, in the fridge." So that was that. We're using the real thing. :)

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Whew. (I thought the objection was to cooking with alky-hol, not the lack thereof.)

I just finished seething a bunch of fresh vegetables into a ratatouille (loaded with fresh basil and a cup of Merlot).

[elendiari22.livejournal.com]

My family doesn't drink wine, but we cook with it. I just didn't want to have to go to the store and buy a bottle of the stuff, and so was looking for loopholes. :)

[surgicalsteel.livejournal.com]

Too funny!