Food Prepared With Alcohol

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

Although conventional wisdom suggests that alcohol burns off after cooking, that does not hold true in most cases. The following is a chart prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):

Alcohol Burn-off Chart

Preparation Method  – Percent Retained

alcohol added to boiling liquid & removed from heat 85%

alcohol flamed 75%

no heat, stored overnight 70%

baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred into mixture 45%

Baked/simmered dishes with alcohol stirred into mixture:

15 minutes cooking time 40%

30 minutes cooking time 35%

1 hour cooking time 25%

1.5 hours cooking time 20%

2 hours cooking time 10%

2.5 hours cooking time 5%

(http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol12.htm)

Since it is evident that at least some percentage of wine would still be retained in the food after cooking, eating the food in question would be forbidden.

Jabir ibn `Abdullah (RA) reports:

‏”The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and mercy be upon him) said: whatever intoxicates in a large quantity, a small quantity of it is forbidden.” (Abu Dawood; similar tradition reported in Nasai)

All four Sunni schools are unanimous on the prohibition of consuming wine in any quantity. As well, wine is a type of najasa (filth). With reference to wine, the classical Arabic Hanafi fiqh text Al-Hidayah states:

It is filth – severe filth, similar to urine. (Al-Hidayah, Book of Drinks)

As a result, the mixture would become filthy as soon as the wine is added to it. Hence, even if the wine were to evaporate after extensive boiling or cooking, it would make no difference.

Deriving benefit from filth is forbidden. (Al-Hidayah, Book of Drinks)

Therefore, consuming any food or mixture in which wine has been added is forbidden, regardless of how little of it is present in the finished product.

Verily, Allah knows best.

Sikander Ziad Hashmi
Montreal, Canada