In my area, cooking wine does not exist. I can only easily find Sherry (for drinking) at 15% alcohol. I was told it should have 20% to be shelf-stable for ~6—24 months.
There is white port at 19½% alc. Not sure if that differs much from sherry in taste, but I suppose 19½% is close enough for shelf-stability.
Should I add table salt to the sherry to make it shelf stable? Or add brandy? Or switch to white port? Or even just brandy?
My main use: less than ~½—¾ shot mixed with corn starch as the thickening basis for stir-fries. I don’t really use sherry for anything else. I don’t even drink it because I so commonly use it in stir-fries that as a straight drink it’s like drinking Kung Pao Chicken because I can’t mentally dissociate it.
I also wonder if I should be looking for dry sherry, or simple sherry. I want the stir-fries to have the sweetness of strong sherry, so I guess dry variants would be contrary to that.
update – still unclear
Folks are saying ~12—15% is enough for shelf-stability. The non-fortified wines I have are in that range. So I’m baffled because I believe normal wine turns to vinegar if left at room temp after opening.
I also wonder if Sherry is only very slightly fortified since 15% isn’t much more than normal wine.
There is a specific category of “cooking wine” in the states for legal reasons. These wines have a small amount of salt added to them, rendering them undrinkable, and as such, they go on the shelf next to vinegars, usw, with no age restriction on purchases.
Table wine vs. cooking wine isn’t really a topic outside of a fancy dinner party. But yeah, bottom shelf for cooking, then whatever my wallet can take for drinking.