Suppose you decided to enjoy one or two glasses of wine but don’t know what to do with the remaining part of the bottle. Open wine is not suitable for long-term storage, but there is a way to avoid its disposal. This method is especially useful for those who cook often.
Sommelier recommend storing an open bottle of wine exclusively in the refrigerator. White wine may remain drinkable for only two to three days, while red wine lasts a bit longer, about five days. It is advisable to use a special vacuum pump to remove air from the bottle, which slows down the oxidation process. In general, open wine is best not stored for long.
So what should you do with it? Chef Ben Ebbrell, co-author of the popular YouTube channel Sorted Food, offers a simple hack that helps preserve leftover wine and reduce kitchen waste.
“Why not freeze the wine? Use ice cube trays that hold 50-75 ml. Pour the leftovers and freeze. Once the wine is solid, it can be stored in zip-lock bags and used as cubes for making sauces and deglazing,” advises the chef.
Thus, the next time you are cooking a steak, try this: while the meat is resting, add a cube of frozen wine to the pan with leftover fat, finely chopped shallots, and a bit of butter for thickness. Serve the meat with the resulting sauce. The ice cubes can also be used for making French onion soup and other dishes that require about 100 ml of wine, rather than a whole bottle.
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