Wine not only enhances taste like salt or sugar, it can change the structure of products. Light alcohol due to the content of fruit acids is used in marinades to soften beef, pork and lamb. The drink reveals the taste of white fish, scallops, shrimp, reveals new flavors of meat, vegetables, stewed in a tomato sauce.
The taste of dishes depends on the quality and type of wine. More often red, white, pink young drinks with a bright fruity taste are used in cooking. Wine does not spoil a dish if it is added at the beginning or in the middle of cooking, so that the alcohol has time to evaporate. Fish, risotto, sauces for mushrooms and pork are cooked with white wine. Red wine is used to flavor desserts, make sauces for beef, duck, chicken, and lamb.
12 ideas for substituting white or red wine in recipes?
If you do not have alcohol at home – this is not a reason to refuse to cook your favorite dish. There are several non-alcoholic substitutes with similar properties.
Cranberry or pomegranate juice
Alternative drinks contain enough organic acids and rich berry flavor to duplicate wine in recipes in the same amount. Juices are used in vegetable glazes, sauces, and salad dressings.
To equalize the acidity of substitutes with the original, a tablespoon of vinegar is added per cup of soft drink.
Pomegranate juice has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial properties, and prevents some forms of cancer. Cranberry drink is known as a natural antibiotic, a remedy for the removal of salts of heavy metals, radionuclides, maintaining youthful skin.
Grape juice and rice vinegar
Grape juice is an excellent substitute for the original drink in dishes because of the similarity of aroma, taste. The alternative is used in equal amounts, acidified with rice vinegar. The best proportions for replacing red wine are one-third cup of red grape juice plus half a tablespoon of rice vinegar. To replace white wine, 0.5 tbsp. of white grape juice is mixed with 1 tbsp. of vinegar.
Juice with increased tartness is used not only for cooking hot dishes, but also for marinating vegetables and meat. Non-alcoholic drink with a rich mineral composition supports the health of the kidneys, nervous, cardiovascular system, removes dangerous toxins from the body.
Apple cider vinegar
The product with a sour-sweet taste may well duplicate white wine in recipes for savory dishes. To avoid spoiling a dish and getting used to the new taste, add the alternative a little at a time.
Apple cider vinegar has many health benefits for the body. It regulates blood sugar, cholesterol levels, kills viruses, germs, helps get rid of excess weight, and lowers blood pressure.
Kombucha
Slightly carbonated, with a pleasant sourness, the infusion of tea mushroom is often compared to the taste of wine or cider. Not surprisingly, it is substituted in varying amounts for an alcoholic beverage in recipes.
Infusion of the symbiosis of yeast fungi and vinegar-acid bacteria besides giving dishes an underlying flavor has benefits for the body. Kombucha stimulates the immune system, normalizes metabolism, eliminates dysbacteriosis, prevents heart disease, vascular disease, stimulates the brain. After 10 days of nutrition, the mushroom forms an antibiotic miduzin, which is excellent against infections, without harming the immune system.
Wine vinegar.
Organoleptic properties of vinegar are similar to the taste, aroma of wine, which makes the product a great substitute for alcohol. More often it is introduced in recipes for sauces, marinades. Red wine vinegar is suitable for dishes with vegetables, pork, beef. White vinegar is added to dressings for fruit salads, seafood, chicken and fish.
To remove excessive acidity, vinegar is diluted by half with water. The substitute, which is a strong antiseptic, contains anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor substances and cardioprotectors.
Tomato juice.
The color and acidity of its counterpart make it possible to use an alternative to replace an alcoholic beverage. Because of its bitter taste, tomato juice is used in a 1:1 ratio in marinades. If it is necessary to improve the taste of other dishes, the non-alcoholic drink is mixed with a fruit fraiche.
Tomato juice is a champion in the content of lycopene (in 1 cup 20 mg), which reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, damage to internal organs, the development of age-related degeneration of the yellow spot. In addition, the drink has antidepressant, oncoprotective, diuretic, bactericidal effects.
Mushroom marinade
Non-alcoholic substitute not bad duplicates red wine in unsweetened savory dishes. To approximate the taste of the liquid with mushroom flavors to the original, it is diluted by half with grape, pomegranate or cranberry juice.
Marinade can be used if you are sure of the quality of the mushrooms, as they have the ability to absorb toxic substances from the environment. The minus of the analog is a high concentration of sodium, vinegar.
Lemon juice
Citrus nectar can replace white wine in marinating meat. Tart, sour lemon juice is added to other dishes, pre-diluted with water at a ratio of 1:1. That is, if the recipe states a glass of wine, it is duplicated by 0.5 tbsp. lemon juice plus 0.5 tbsp. water.
Biologically active substances of the dietary citrus drink stimulate the synthesis of immunoglobulins, protect the body from external adverse factors. Lemon juice accelerates metabolic reactions, burns fat deposits, accelerates recovery from respiratory and viral diseases.
Beef broth, chicken broth, vegetable broth
The best choice when replacing red wine in meat dishes is beef broth. White wine in sauces for chicken, fish, and seafood is duplicated with more delicate chicken or vegetable broth. That increase the acidity of the alternatives, a teaspoon of white vinegar and sweetener to taste are added to a cup of liquid.
The alternatives presented do not constitute an exhaustive list. Wine can be substituted for other drinks. For example, ginger ale, cider or beer. As a last resort, you can use water mixed in equal parts with vinegar (a quarter cup each) and 1 tbsp. sugar.
