You've made a lovely, rich stew with wine or beer to flavour it. But can your baby or toddler share it with you and your family? It depends on a number of factors, including the strength of alcohol you use, the amount of alcohol and how long you’ve cooked or simmered the alcohol for.
Can I give my child food that’s been cooked with alcohol?
You can, as long as most of the alcohol has been cooked off. The amount of alcohol left in a dish after cooking can depend on lots of different factors though, including:
- the type of alcohol you use, and its strength
- the quantity of alcohol you use
- what methods you use to cook the dish
- how long you cook the dish for
(Ryapushkina et al 2016)
Advertisement | page continues below
How long does it take for alcohol to cook out of food?
Again, it’s hard to say for sure because it depends on the cooking method and the strength of the alcohol. But the longer the cooking time, the more the alcohol evaporates and the lower the alcohol level will be. And if you simmer a stew with wine, cider or beer for 90 minutes to two hours, most of the alcohol content will be burned off
(Ryapushkina et al 2016). Some alcohol may remain, but not in any quantity that’s likely to harm your baby.
If you add alcohol to a dish later in the cooking process, however, the alcohol content will be higher. Any alcohol that’s stirred into a hot dish at the end of cooking, or added after cooking, will still be there when you serve it up.
Baked foods that are made by stirring alcohol into the mixture, such as cakes, hold on to more of the alcohol content
(Ryapushkina et al 2016).
How can I make sure most of the alcohol has been cooked off?
It’s understandable that you may not want your baby to miss out on some favourite and flavourful
recipes. If you are cooking a
family stew that has wine or beer on the list of ingredients, do the following to burn off the alcohol:
- Use a wide, uncovered pan. Alcohol takes longer to burn off in smaller pans.
- Add the alcohol early in the cooking process.
- Simmer or cook for at least 90 minutes.
(Ryapushkina et al 2016)
What kind of alcohol can I use for family recipes?
Wine, cider and beer can be used occasionally as long as you follow the guidance to make sure most of the alcohol has been cooked off.
It’s best not to give your baby any food that’s been prepared with spirits or liqueurs. This is because these drinks have a higher alcohol by volume (ABV) content than wine, cider or beer. If you prefer, you could substitute the alcohol without losing too much flavour. You could try wine vinegar, for example, which contains little or no alcohol. Or you could use non-alcoholic wines or beers instead.
Here are some other alternatives to try:
Advertisement | page continues below
- Apple juice instead of cider
- Chicken broth instead of white wine
- Ginger ale instead of beer
- Orange juice or pineapple juice instead of sherry
- Apricot, peach or pear juice instead of brandy
More common weaning questions 
