# Cooking with wine in a slow cooker?



## mish (Oct 16, 2006)

Not sure if I put this is in the right catagory. Has anyone tried cooking with wine in a slow cooker? Is it safe, how did the dish turn out?

I would like to make chicken marsala with mushrooms, serve with angel hair pasta (using the sauce over the pasta), and asparagus -- but not sure if this is a good idea. TIA for any tips/experience.


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## Gretchen (Oct 16, 2006)

Chicken  marsala is not a candidate for a slow cooker in my opinion. The breasts will be grossly overdone. I use chicken marsala as a recipe for a 10 minute meal actually.
Cooking with wine in a crockpot is fine.


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## jkath (Oct 16, 2006)

My slow cooker recipe for beef burgundy uses wine and it works out very well. I make it quite often. Same goes for Chicken Scampi.


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## Robo410 (Oct 16, 2006)

made a chili with beer in a crock pot...worked fine


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## jennyema (Oct 16, 2006)

I agree with Gretchen.  The chix in chix marsala cooks very quickly and the sauce comes together quickly also.  Can't see any benefit to slow cooking it.

But you can cook with wine is a slow cooker just like you can in a dutch oven.


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## GB (Oct 16, 2006)

Wine in a slow cooker is not a problem at all, but like gretchen said, chicken marsala is not a good recipe for a slow cooker.


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## Hopz (Oct 16, 2006)

I cook pot roast, beef stew etc. in the slow cooker frequently with wine or beer as the liquid. No problem. Tastes great, less filling....etc.

If your question has to do with the alcohol, do not worry- it is long gone before the meat is finished, and you can add some more at the table-preferrably in a glass.


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## Gretchen (Oct 16, 2006)

This is a good time to bring up how alcohol does cook off. It does not all cook off quickly at all. And it should be remembered that if you are preparing something for a recovering alcoholic, the flavor is still very much there.

Preparation MethodPercent of Alcohol Retained
alcohol added to boiling liquid & removed from heat 85%alcohol flamed75%
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%
1 hour 25%
1.5 hours 20%
2 hours 10%
2.5 hours 5%

Now, it may be that the amount of alcohol in a dish is modest to start with, but the fact that some of the alcohol remains could be of significant concern to recovering alcoholics, parents, and others who have ethical or religious reasons for avoiding alcohol. Madeleine Kamman, James Peterson and some of our other cooking heroes may be on the mark when stating that the harshness of the alcohol burns off quickly. But the alcohol itself is clearly another matter. 

​


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## ChefJune (Oct 16, 2006)

> if you are preparing something for a recovering alcoholic, the flavor is still very much there.


not only the flavor remains, but _always_ traces of alcohol!  Please don't cook with any alcoholic beverage when preparing food for a recovering alcoholic.... Think of it as a "lethal allergy!"


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## Gretchen (Oct 16, 2006)

My post above yours shows that it isn't  just traces but actually quite a lot of alcohol remains.
I mentioned the flavor in particular because someone on another board who is in that situation mentioned that fact in particular.


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## bullseye (Oct 16, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> My post above yours shows that it isn't  just traces but actually quite a lot of alcohol remains.
> I mentioned the flavor in particular because someone on another board who is in that situation mentioned that fact in particular.



That is true, Gretchen, and even more so when cooking in a slow cooker with the lid on, as this thread started out discussing.  The alcohol evaporates, but then condenses and rejoins the liquid in the pot.


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## Gretchen (Oct 16, 2006)

bullseye said:
			
		

> That is true, Gretchen, and even more so when cooking in a slow cooker with the lid on, as this thread started out discussing. The alcohol evaporates, but then condenses and rejoins the liquid in the pot.


 
You know, I am have a biochemistry major and while what you are saying is interesting and gives me pause, I don't think that is correct.  The alcohol will vaporize and part of it turn to water, I believe , but it cannot recombine into alcohol.


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## bullseye (Oct 16, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> You know, I am have a biochemistry major and while what you are saying is interesting and gives me pause, I don't think that is correct.  The alcohol will vaporize and part of it turn to water, I believe , but it cannot recombine into alcohol.



You know how a still works?  Isn't this a similar situation?  The alcohol evaporates at 78.5 degrees centigrade, but does not undergo a chemical change; it simply turns to vapor.  In the still, the alcohol is condensed by cooled coils and decanted into a different container, concentrating the alcohol.  In the slow cooker the alcohol evaporates, and when it reaches the relatively cool lid, it condenses and rejoins the cooking liquid, only to evaporate again.  Please feel free to enlighten me if I am wrong.  It won't be the first time!


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