With the rise of fast food culture, french fries have become a popular staple in people’s diets. However, the French fries commonly found in restaurants and supermarkets are mostly factory-produced, frozen french fries. Compared to freshly cut and fried potatoes, frozen french fries not only preserve the fresh taste of the potatoes but also significantly increase the convenience of processing and consumption. So, how are frozen french fries made?
The main production process of frozen french fries is as follows:
Raw material selection: Potatoes with a high starch content and a high dry matter content are typically used for making french fries. These potatoes achieve a crispy texture and golden color after frying.
Cleaning and peeling: The potatoes are brushed and rinsed with clean water to remove sand and impurities. The skins are then thoroughly removed to ensure the appearance and taste of the finished product.
Cutting: The peeled potatoes are fed into a slicer and cut into french fries of uniform size. The size of the fries can be adjusted according to market demand.
Blanching: Cut fries are blanched in hot water. This not only removes excess starch from the surface, preventing sticking during frying, but also inactivates enzyme activity, preventing oxidation and discoloration.
Pre-frying: The fries are briefly pre-fried in a deep fryer to create a crispy crust, solidifying their shape and structure while also enhancing the texture for subsequent frying.
Quick freezing: After pre-frying, the fries are quickly frozen in a quick freezer, typically at -35°C to -40°C, ensuring the core temperature quickly drops to below -18°C. This rapid freezing prevents the formation of large ice crystals inside the fries, preserving their texture.
Packaging and storage: The frozen fries are packaged in batches using an automatic packaging machine before being stored in cold storage and ultimately shipped to various restaurants and supermarkets.
What to keep in mind when producing frozen french fries?
Uniform cutting specifications: French fries must be cut to consistent sizes. Otherwise, they will be heated unevenly during frying, affecting their taste and appearance.
Controlling blanching and pre-frying temperatures: Too high a blanching time and temperature will cause the fries to become too soft and lose nutrients, while too low a blanching temperature will not preserve their color or shape. Pre-frying should not be too long, otherwise the fries will become too hard after re-frying.
