Can you cook with cider?
You can cook with cider much as you would with white wine: in sauces, braises, stews and batters, and boiled down into a syrup for baking. Heat removes only part of the alcohol. In USDA tests, a dish baked or simmered for 15 minutes kept about 40% of the alcohol added, and one cooked for 2.5 hours about 5%.
Updated
Key facts
- A wine substitute. Les producteurs de cidre du Québec say still cider can take the place of wine in dishes and cocktails, and pairs with pork, fish and seafood. [1]
- Alcohol does not all cook off. The USDA's nutrient retention tables measured how much added alcohol stays in food (see the table below). [2]
- Boiled down, it becomes a sweetener. Boiled cider, fresh juice reduced to about one-seventh of its volume, has long been used in New England baking. [3]
How much alcohol stays in food cooked with cider?
| Method (USDA) | Alcohol retained |
|---|---|
| Added to boiling liquid and taken off the heat | 85% |
| Flamed | 75% |
| Not stirred in, baked 25 minutes | 45% |
| Stirred in, baked or simmered 15 minutes | 40% |
| 30 minutes | 35% |
| 1 hour | 25% |
| 2 hours | 10% |
| 2.5 hours | 5% |
Source: USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6. [2] For a dish without alcohol, cook with apple juice or an alcohol-free cider instead; see what alcohol-free cider is.
How do I cook with cider?
- Pick the style. A dry, still cider behaves like dry white wine; sweet ciders add sugar that can caramelise or burn.
- Deglaze and braise. Use cider to deglaze a pan or as the braising liquid for pork and chicken. Quebec's producers note its fruity, acidic character suits pork, fish and seafood. [1]
- Reduce for flavour. Simmering concentrates both apple flavour and acidity; taste before adding salt or sugar.
- Bake with boiled cider. For pies and cakes, a cider syrup gives concentrated apple flavour; see what boiled cider is. [3]
Which cider is best for cooking?
Use one you would drink. Dry or brut ciders suit savoury dishes; sweet ones suit desserts and glazes. For how sweetness is labelled, see does dry cider have less sugar and the guide to how cider is made.
Related answers: what boiled cider is · what food goes with cider
Find it on Cider Radar
- In Cider Radar, rate a bottle on sweetness and body, so you know which ones suit cooking.
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Cider, perry, calvados and pommeau are alcoholic drinks. Enjoy responsibly and follow the legal drinking age where you live.
Questions
Can I use cider instead of white wine in a recipe?
Yes. Quebec's cider producers say still cider can replace wine in recipes as well as at the table. [1] A dry cider is the closest swap for a dry white wine.
Does alcohol cook off cider completely?
No. In USDA tests, even 2.5 hours of baking or simmering left about 5% of the alcohol, and flaming left about 75%. [2]
Can I cook with apple cider vinegar instead?
They are different ingredients: vinegar is acidic and has almost no sugar. See how apple cider vinegar is made.
Sources
- Consomme le cidre à ta façon ! — Les producteurs de cidre du Québec
- USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007) — USDA Agricultural Research Service
- Boiled Cider and Cider Jelly (Ark of Taste) — Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity