How much alcohol burns off in cooking.....not as much as you think......

  • Alcohol added to a recipe may cook off, but it depends on how long you cook it. Rena Cultrufelli of the USDA prepared the following table of alcohol content in cooked foods.
    Preparation Method = Percent Retained

    Alcohol added to boiling liquid and removed from heat = 85%

    Flame = 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%
    60 minutes/1 hour = 25%
    90 minutes/1.5 hours = 20%
    120 minutes/2 hours = 10%
    150 minutes/2.5 hours = 5%

    So you see not all the alcohol is ever complete “burned” off.