When deepfrying French Fries, why do recipes call to leave potato in cold water for an hour?

To get rid of the starch in the potato. Too much starch gives you soggy french fries.

Ahh ok.

I guess I'll have to wait the whole hour.

Im so stoned and hungry right now.

I might have to knaw on the carpet... Again. Sigh.

NOOOOO, don't chew the carpet. And stop getting so stoned. How can you enjoy french fries when you are stoned? Eat them tomorrow when you are er...feeling better. You'll enjoy them more.

What! Youre crazy!

I got 40 mins left to wait. Ugh! I got malt vineger and sea salt too.

Mmmm.. These better be good

frys are discusting

I cook my 'french fries' chips straight away, I like them soggy, that is the whole point, all chips in a british chip shop are soggy,..... best covered in malt vinegar

Well, since you waited this long, go ahead and cook them and please enjoy them. I can almost smell them from here.....Yummy!

Yeah im an English man in USA.

I need to make some good homemade chips!

Im feeling soo home sick!

At-least soaking them might get rid of that weird taste the outside of the poatato can sometimes have.

id boil mine cool them, then deep fry in sunflower oil, hope it works out. organic home made ketchup, aahh

Mcdonalds originally soaked the ff's in water/sugar solution.

lets have Chips!!!

And get stoned. I like to buy pot at a nice little pub at the Portobello Rd flew market in London. the only bummer is lots of seeds.

i think the colder they are,
the less oil they soak up.
try blanching them, freezing, then frying.

that's what they dump in the fryers
at the fast food joint.

I was always taught that the best made chips are fried in med heat till soft, then fried a second time till golden.

Malt Vinegar is the best! Where's your fish?

dip the fries in tartar sauce instead of ketchup

Just fucking do it. Why ask why? That's how it's done to have good fries. Unless you want shit fries, follow directions.

Has to do with starch. You do not have to do it. follow these instructions and you will get great F.F.

Cut russet or idaho's to equal sizes(no larger then 1/4 sticks) dry them on paper towels lightly dust them with cornstarch then flash fry for about 6 min. or until golden brown. They will be the best fries you ever had.

If you like them spicy add some cajun seasonings to the cornstarch

Soaking potatoes in cold water is to get rid of some of the starch, then when you cook them they won't be so dry and chewy. But don't deep fry them. Sprinkle olive oil on them after drying them and then bake in a 425 degree oven...better for you that way.

I'm not so sure about that.

Is that how they serve them at Mo's fish house?

don't use oil for cooking them!!! use LARD!!!!!

Yup, it is fries they're discusting right now.

Well..all you have to do is go to the shop and buy some..take em home and piss on em.

Then they will taste just like chips from the ole blighty.

I've been making oven roasted potatoes lately instead of pan frying them.

I cut them in pieces and put a lot of olive oil and fresh pressed garlic and some rosemary on them in a big bowl and mix that up really well.

Spread them out on a baking sheet and roast them in a hot oven like the poster said above, they are very good.

Screw it. I never soak potatoes before i make french fries. As ling as your oil is hot and you don't add too many taters at one time, and cool the oil down they shouldn't soak up a lot of grease.

The only thing is, if you are cutting or peeling them ahead of time, they have to go into water or the starch will turn pink then black when exposed to oxygen. Keeping them in water will prevent that.

Also make sure you dry them with a paper towel and get most of the water off before you put them in hot oil or it could cause the oil to bubble up and overflow and you could get burnt.

I don't think it is necessary, 20 minutes should be enough.

Didn't the early McDonalds soak them in sugar water overnight in the beginning?

You have to deep fry French Fries twice.

Because you have to blanch the potato in the oil at a lower temp. Then you have to completely cool the french fry before you can fry it again at a higher finishing temp.


The reason you do this is because it changes the starch in the potato.


You can just cut a Potato and soak it in water then fry it to completion and expect to have a good french fry.

It will be disgusting. Oily, Greasy, and limp.

It will NOT be crunchy if you do it that way.


You have absolutely have to blanch them and completely cool them for the fry to be crispy.

To kill the batman.