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Homemade french fries
The potatoes in my parents' garden produced really well this year. So well, in fact, that they gave us about 2 bushels! Although the potatoes will keep for quite a while, I think they taste best when they're fresh and crisp, so I'm planning to try to incorporate more potatoes into our diets these days. :)
Last week we made French fries -- really yummy deep fried ones! We usually make baked potato wedges rather than French fries, so having "real" fries was a real treat! I can't even remember the last time we deep fried something, since I usually stay away from deep frying simply because of health issues and the extra expense. :)
Here is how I made my French fries:
1. Scrub or peel potatoes. Cut into fries.
2. Heat oil in a large pan (fill pan no more than half full of oil) to 350 degrees. We use a candy thermometer for this.
3. Fry potatoes in small batches until lightly browned and soft inside.
4. Drain on paper towels and toss with salt.
This was how my mom always made homemade French fries. Do any of you have tips or advice for beginning French Fry-ers? :)
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wow
Those are the best lookin' homemade fries I've ever seen!
-Donna-
Thsi si how I make mine
Thsi si how I make mine too!!
Tereza
Chocolate Cake Mix Question actually
I was just perusing your new recipes and I love the idea of having chocolate cake mix around! However, I wasn't sure how much of the mix I needed to use when making up a cake? Is it all of it or just a cup or ??
A whole cake
If you are talking about the recent chocolate cake recipe (where the dry ingredients + shortning can be stored before use) then the recipe makes 1 cake, 9x13 if I remember correctly. Use all the ingredients. It is easiest to read the recipe as a "making the cake right now" recipe for the first time so you get the idea.
Fries
If you like them really crisp fry them twice. The first time just until they are brown. Let them cool in batches and then go through and do them again. It does take twice as long but is well worth the effort.
Rinsing?
I watched someone do it on food network once, and he insisted on rinsing them a couple of times in cold water before frying. I believe this was supposed to result in crispier french fries. Does anyone use this method?
Freezing Potato, HELP !!!!
Tammy,
This just happened this weekend... about 4 months ago I had an over abundance of potatos... so my husband and I, new to the food saver, thought we should cut up the raw potatos and freeze them in the food saver bags... well I just took some of the potatos out this weekend and while they were thawing in the fridge they turned purple and then black...
Have you ever tried freezing potatos in the foodsaver bags and then this happen?
Now when we did seal them we did have a little trouble with all the water and starch that came off the food... but we had a soild seal on the bags.. Any idea's on what to do to prevent this in the future?
I was thinking maybe next time to flash freeze the potatos before sealing them and then freezing... do you think it would work.?? I am still new with this food saver, and would love some help if anyone has had experience with this.
sue
an idea...
Sue,
...when vegetables are stored in the freezer, it's always standard procedure to blanche them first to deactivate the enzymes so that they will not start to decay. Blanching involves cooking them lightly and then putting them into ice water to stop the cooking. For example, putting up corn and green beans in the freezer works this way.
I have never done potatoes in the freezer like this, but I'm guessing that there's a similar method to avoid the purple/black problem you ran into. They were starting to break down so that is why you saw them discolor that way. In fact, if you ever peel potatoes before you cook them, you'll find that the peelings will do this in your compost bucket before you throw them out. If you don't put your cut raw potatoes into a bowl of water soon after they are cut, this will also happen to them eventually.
If I were storing potatoes in the freezer, I would probably cook them partially the way I intend to eat them and then reheat till done. Your potatoes might have been ok if you had not thawed first.
Actually, I have only heard of keeping raw potatoes in a cool, dark and dry place (about 40 degrees F. or so) over the winter months. They keep very well this way.
I suggest doing an internet search for "storing potatoes in the freezer" to help you. I hope this helps.
Loretta
http://veganfootprints.blogspot.com/
thanks for the help... Loretta
I will give it a try ,. I think I was thinking that if the french fries companies can do it, why would it not work for me??? Makes me wonder what else they do to the potatos... eek !
Sue
I believe they pre-cook the fries
I believe most purchased fries are already cooked, to some degree. I know this is (or was) true of McDonalds' fries. You can tell this is the case with most fries bought in the frozen section as well.
I believe frozen potatoes
I believe frozen potatoes are partially dehydrated by the food processing company. And since that's something you can't do at home, you're not supposed to freeze raw potatoes. But I *think* you can cook them and then freeze them?
Unfortunately, you cannot
Unfortunately, you cannot "dehydrate" -frozen- potatoes, as all the moisture (the "hydrate", or "hydration" in the potatoes) has formed ice crystals over the process of freezing. Thusly, you cannot dehydrate the potatoes in any meaningful (or even possible) way without totally ripping them to shreds (this is based upon the logic that frozen steaks, or other cuts of meat cannot be thawed too quickly because the ice crystals inside them [see: moisture] will literally tear the meat to shreds, and in the process of cooking, will create a very dry "leathery" piece of meat).
Ya.
Our family loves homemade fries!
Our favorite way to make homemade fries is to make large batches so that the fries are falling apart when you eat them. They really do taste better that way. I do fry my twice also. I don't wait until they are brown to take them out the first time. When they are very soft, but not brown, I take them out and put in another batch so the first batch can cool. I agree that it is worth the effort.
Soak those babies!
I know it takes longer to eat the fries this way, but soaking them in some water (especially if there is some sugar added to the water) makes them really crispy. My mother taught me this when I was little, but in my naive head I thought she was full of it, and tried making some that weren't soaked. Yes they were good, but not as crispy.
Now days I soak mine, rinse and dry in a kitchen towel, then coat them in oil and bake them. Or on a really strange day I will make up a bunch soak and bake them halfway and freeze them. Then whenever I want fries I can pull them out of the freezer. They aren't as crispy this way, but its handy.
Hot Fries
There is nothing better than fresh hot fries cooked at home. Except maybe for dipping them in mounds of ketchup. Oh my -- I do believe I'm drooling!
We have these about once a year and I think that makes them even more special.Reading your mouthwatering description makes me think we are due for another round. (Also, homemade doughnuts rank right up there, too)
Take Care,
Trixie
Doughnut recipe???
Hi Trixie-
Would you by any chance have a nice Doughnut recipe??? I've tried a few times before but they seem to have too much oil in them or the temp is much to high when frying.....any suggestions would be great!
Thanks a bunch...
Robyn : )
Try this... Soak them in
Try this...
Soak them in sugar/salt water for an hour...drain and pat dry then fry
or
Soak them in 1/2 water, 1/2 ranch dressing... drain and lightly pat dry then fry
or
"dry rub" with your favorite herb blend and then deep fry
HJ
Homemade french fried
I usually just coat mine with oil and salt and bake them. However, I watched a show one time where the owner of a famous french fry 'factory / restaurant / something like that' showed how he made french fries. He peeled the potatoes and soaked them in water for 24 hours. Then he sliced them and soaked them for another 24 hours! Then he deep fried them. I haven't tried it, but those fries looked delicious.
yup!
soaking them in ice water will definitely help them be crispier. in fact, i don't even fry them anymore [but a two stage frying process is going to make a crispier fry too], i roast them in a 450 oven after a 15-20 minute soak in ice water [our tap water is extremely cold here in Alaska all year. Out east it never gets really cold unless it's winter, so i would add ice]I toss them in a good amount of olive oil, there is usually a little puddling on the bottom, but not covering the whole thing. Then we roast them till they are crispy and crunchy and soft in the middle. 15 minutes, if your using a thinner fry and not a potato wedge.
Fries
We cut the potatoes into cold water, and let them soak for a while. Then we rinse them in fresh water and dry them in my salad spinner. You certainly don't want to drop wet fries in hot oil!
We fry them for about four minutes, then drain and cool. then we fry them again. They come out very crisp and yummy! Add some salt and they taste like In-N-Out fries!
Those
Look just like fries from gibby's at the county fair.They looks so good!
We always bake
I usually cut my potatoes into wedges, drizzle with olive oil, toss with minced garlic and a little salt and bake.
I have tried frying, but never liked the results. I will try some of the ideas others shared and see what happens.
we love fries here.
I do both. If I have more time I will bake with seasonings. If I am pressed for time I fry and throw on a paper towel...I then salt immediately. I heard once it's best to salt them straight out of the oil. I have also used cloth napkins to drain on as well. I can rewash them with the kitchen towels and reuse. I am going to have to try all the above tips and see which ones work the best for me. BTW yours look awesome. From time to time I get mine too dark. Also left over fries are made into tater sandwiches the next day for lunch. I make them like regular sandwich with mayo...usually I slice in circles to fry when making these. But, fries work just as well...just sliced different.
http://justanothermodestmom.blogspot.com/
Thank you!
thank you tammy!
So many blogs I visit are VERY health conscious. And wouldn't dare deep fry anything.
Thank you for being what I call a "real" mom. Who occasionally fries stuff, uses REGULAR sugar once and a while etc.
Usually when I make fries, I make them in the deep fryer. The drain in the basket. I immediately salt them after dumping from the basket.
Always salt while still piping hot, brings out the flavor.
Fry them twice! The first
Fry them twice! The first fry, let them just get nice and soft. Cool. For the second fry, keep them in until they turn brown. I never believed it would make such a difference, but oh-boy, are they so good when fried twice. We haven't had homemade french fries in over a year, but now I want some!
OLD BAY is the way to go in Maryland!
For crisy well-seasoned fries we soak, drain, pat dry, and fry in 390 degree vegetable oil and then toss in a brown bag with Old Bay seafood seasoning. The bag absorbs the grease and shaking the bag evenly distributes the Old Bay. Delicious!!! (of course you could substitute with your favorite flavors!)
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