Does cooking burn-off the alcohol added to a recipe?
Tom Vanek, Whisky / Whiskey Connoisseur
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The short answer is: it does, but probably not as fast as you may think it does.
Based on research by the USDA on nutrient retention after food is exposed to various cooking methods, the amount of alcohol remaining in cooked food ranged from 5% to 85%. There are three factors that determine where on this rather wide continuum of evaporation an alcohol containing dish falls: concentration, heat and time. An addition of a higher proof of alcohol for a short period of time will have more alcohol remaining compared to a lower alcohol dish cooked for hours. Think Crepes Suzette vs. Boef Bourguignon.
"For Baked or simmering dishes with alcohol mixed in, after 2 1/2 hours of cooking time, 5% of the original amount of alcohol is left. But when the alcohol is added to a boiling liquid and then removed from the heat, 85% of the alcohol remains."1
1 - Chow Hound, "Does Cooking Alcohol Really Burn It All Off?", Tara Shioya, Published October 1, 2007