Red and white wines are popular additions to many recipes. They add acidity to enhance a dish’s flavors, provide their own subtle flavor notes, and help keep dishes from drying out as they cook. However, many people don’t like to use wine in their cooking. Some people have allergies or intolerance to alcohol or other compounds in wine. Although most or all of the alcohol burns off in cooking, recovering alcoholics may still want to avoid using wine. In some areas, it may be challenging to access wines for cooking due to purchasing restrictions or other regulations. Some people enjoy exploring alternative cooking bases, and some don’t enjoy the flavor. Whatever the reason for skipping the wine, plenty of wine substitutes are available to elevate your cooking without the alcohol.
Adding a little acid to any dish enhances and brings out the other flavors present. While wines provide a great source of both sweet and sour notes, many substitutes work equally well.
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Citrus and pineapple juice
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Lemon juice or other citrus juices pack an acidic punch. While lemon juice is delicious in almost any dish, other citrus juices may be ideal for specific cuisines. Orange juice works well in sweet Asian dishes like teriyaki, lime juice enhances Hispanic foods such as fajitas or taco meat, and with sweeter meats like ham, many people enjoy a pineapple-based glaze. Citrus juices are stronger than wines, so use less or dilute them to avoid overpowering the dish.
Vinegar
If you want the acidity of wine without the sweetness of citrus juice, vinegar is a great option. Though red and white wine vinegars are more acidic than actual wine, they retain much of the flavor of the wines they’re made from, as well as adding some flavor from the barrels in which they’re often fermented. If you don’t like the flavor of wine, plenty of other vinegar types can also be used.
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Apple juice
Much like citrus juices, apple juice adds a nice level of acidity to a recipe. However, apple juices are typically much sweeter and have a very different flavor profile than wines or other acids, so it might be a good idea to test the juice in a small sample of the food or sauce before flavoring the whole dish with it. This substitution might be best for dishes that only call for a small amount of wine to avoid dramatically altering the flavor profile. Alternately, if the alcoholic element is not your reason for substituting flavor bases, many hard ciders range from sweet to dry and sharp. Match your cider to your dish.
Ginger ale
Sodas are often good sources of acidity, as well. A mild-flavored soda like ginger ale won’t change the flavor of the dish too much but will still give it a little kick, as well as some sweetness. However, this is another wine substitute with a very different flavor profile, so use it sparingly or only in recipes where ginger would be appropriate, such as Asian cuisine.
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