Using white wine in recipes

[Oneeyedvic]

Is there an alternative to using white eine in recipes - I am not much of a wine drinker (being on a diet and all) so if a recipe calls for a bit of wine I'm stuck as the wine will 'go off' if you get me.

What can I use instead - white wine vinegar?

Just a thought - can the unused amount be frozen?

Please note this is purely for cooking - not drinking.

[lizwizz]

I used to use something called bistro chef from sainsbury's in a small (half wine bottle sized) bottle. I haven't been able to get it for a while though, so if anyone knows where it can be bought, I'd also like to know. It came in red or white.

[chinois]

Check off-licences & corner shops for mini wine bottles like the ones you get on a plane. Wine lasts for a while in the fridge, i dont think it 'goes off' as such if you're cooking with it. It gradually sours but that's ok for cooking. It'll just get a little vinegary. Those corks that create a vacuum prolong the life, as does putting red wine in the fridge.

As regards a substitute, various fortified wines might be used.

[nickmo]

Wine in a recipe, unless it is the principal ingredient like for a syllabub or sorbet, will be cooked off and certainly in a hot dish not have any alcohol.

Substitute with a good stock or plain water and a small amount of wine vinegar but not as much as you would use for wine alone. You could also use pomegranate juice in place of the wine - as in a lot of arabic cooking or use apple juice etc

Wine adds a richness and acidity to a dish, but the majority of the time it can be left out without making a meal too different.

Bit of other advice here: http://homecooking.about.com/od/alcohol/a/alcoholsub_3.htm?iam=dpile_100

And yes you can freeze wine - use a specific ice tray so you have portions for gravies or stock, etc. You won't want to drink a wine that has been frozen though.........

[Xollob]

It doesn't happen very often, but once I wanted to make a potato soup and didn't have any white wine in the house. As an emergency measure I used cider (actually the German variety, Apfelwein) instead. The soup was excellent.

[Pinotage]

Most of the calories in wine is in the alcohol, and alcohol evaporates during cooking. So really, the easiest and best thing is to use wine. Buy the miniature bottles they have in supermarkets.

And next time you are on a flight where they are serving free wine, save the bottles for cooking. I do. :)

[stormin]

Another alternative would be to use a small amount of spirits eg calvados or brandy or rum. All would impart a flavour without calories because as others have said the alcohol is lost in the cooking.