Sherry Substitute

Sherry wine is made in Jerez region of Southern Spain. Sherry is made using special white grape varieties like Palomino, Moscatel and Pedro Ximenez. Once fermentation process of the grapes gets completed, then brandy is mixed into them to make the wine stable. This process makes sherry; a fortified wine.

Sherry is a dry wine and it is devoured as an aperitif. There are various popular types of sherry like Fino, Manzanilla, Jerez Dulce, Oloroso, Amontillado, Palo Cortado, etc. One form of sherry wine is also used for cooking a few delicious recipes. Cooking sherry wine is far more different than the regular sherry.

What is Cooking Sherry?

As I said earlier, cooking sherry is far more different than the regular sherry that we tend to consume. It is a type of sherry, which is treated with salt and various food preservatives. This treatment given to sherry, actually increases its shelf life and makes it available for a longer period of time. Cooking sherry is considered as a cheap form of drinking sherry. Unlike regular sherry, cooking sherry is totally undrinkable, with an altered taste and added flavors of the food preservatives. There are many chefs who constantly search for the cooking sherry substitute because of its higher levels of salt. If sherry is not used in moderation, then it can turn your recipe into a total disaster.

Substitute Options

There are two scenarios when people search for sherry substitutes. One is when they want to avoid usage of alcohol in food and second is when they want to reduce the salt levels. As a matter of fact, cooking sherry is specially made for cooking purposes and its replacement can affect the taste of that recipe. Sherry wine substitute can be a non-alcoholic as well as an alcoholic substance, but make sure it helps you to retain the original taste of your food.

Sherry Wine
The best substitute for cooking sherry is the drinking sherry! Using drinking sherry as a substitute is ideal if you want to reduce salt levels in your food, without affecting its taste. You can have any dry form of drinking sherry as a perfect replacement for cooking sherry. In case you are not aware, 2 tablespoons of cooking sherry contain more than 190 mg of sodium, apart from the harmful food additives, preservatives and food colors. You can use drinking sherry, in order to stay away from the harmful side effects of cooking sherry, if any.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is the most common substitute which is used today. Generally, apple cider vinegar is used in the exact amount of sherry which is required in that particular recipe. But if you want to reduce the usage of apple cider vinegar then you can dilute it with half amount of the apple cider vinegar with equal amount of water. Make sure to use apple cider vinegar as a substitute for spicy recipes and not the desserts!

Alcoholic Sherry Substitutes
You can try alcoholic substitutes for replacing sherry from cooking. Use dry red wine or dry white wine instead of sherry. You can also use Port wine, Marsala wine or Madeira wine for replacing cooking sherry from the food. All you need to do is, to use the same amounts of any of the above mentioned substances, in which the sherry is required. Usage of rice wine vinegar is also found effective as substitute, especially in the Asian food recipes.

Non-Alcoholic Sherry Substitutes
There are various non-alcoholic substitutes which you can use for cooking recipes that demand sherry. Various fresh fruit juices is the best choice amongst them. You can opt for peach juice, orange juice, apricot juice or pineapple juice instead of cooking sherry. If the juice is too thick, then make it dilute with water and then use it. You can also use non-alcoholic vanilla extract or a mixture of white vinegar and chicken (equal amounts) stock to replace sherry.

I feel, drinking sherry is the best substitute for cooking sherry wine amongst all the above mentioned substances. Replacing sherry with wrong substitutes in recipes can spoil the taste of your food, hence act logically and select the best substitute for sherry wine!