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Sherry Substitute

Are there any nonalcoholic substitutes for sherry?

Sherry is a Spanish fortified white wine, which means that the wine has liquor added. It has a distinctive caramel, earthy, often musky flavor that is typically both sweet and acidic. After a few days of experimenting in the test kitchen, we landed on a simple formula to imitate those qualities. To yield about a cup of nonalcoholic sherry substitute, combine 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup apple juice, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce (to mimic sherry’s muskiness). We tested this in our Sherry-Rosemary Pan Sauce, and it tasted very close to the sauce made with sherry. When testing our “mock sherry” in our Frozen Biscuit Tortoni dessert, we found that it was best to omit the soy sauce. Feel free to make this mixture in advance, as it will hold up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

THE BOTTOM LINE: For a nonalcoholic substitute for sherry, use our combination of water, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce (omit the soy sauce for sweet applications).

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