French Fry Oil Degradation

Hey guys,

I've been searching all over the internet for information regarding the difference in oil usage between fresh and frozen french fries. People always say that you will go through more oil cooking fresh fries vs frozen but I can't find anything that talks about why this happens or any data that illustrates the difference. I understand that there is anecdotal evidence everywhere; I've worked in a burger joint cooking both fries, I know that it happens. I just need some data explaining why with specifics and can't seem to find it.
Any help?

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Comments

Brandon_Byrd_40557

Most frozen fries are already fried once, no? Given that they already have a blonde crust, they'll absorb less oil overall than cooking from raw.

Chris_Young_80640

In general, the less the oil temperature drops during frying, the lower the oil uptake. Frozen fries will lower the temperature a lot more than fresh, so all things being equal I would expect frozen to absorb more. BUT, if the frozen fries have had a first frying, then there is a proto-crust that is rather glassy and less prone to oil uptake than a fresh potato.

All of this said, nearly all oil is absorbed by the food after it is removed from the fryer. That's because pockets of steam near the surface of the food condense and wick oil clinging to the surface into the food. The best way to reduce this effect is to blot the food with really absorbant paper towels as soon as you can after pulling the fries from the fryer.