Unless a battered fry, they are not adding in salt during the process. I recommend not salting the fries till they come out of the fryer and even then, waiting for an order before salting as the fries can turn limp prematurely if salted too soon.
When to Season French Fries. Whether or not you season the french fries before or after they are cooked depends on the cooking method that you use: Deep Fried french fries are seasoned immediately after they're finished frying. Baked or Air Fried fries are seasoned before they're cooked.
Yes, it does matter when you season pan-fried potatoes. It is best to season the potatoes before or during cooking, rather than after they have finished cooking.
Why use salt water for soaking potatoes? There's moisture naturally found in potatoes, and moisture is drawn to higher concentrations of salt. (This is a process called osmosis.) So, if you put the potatoes in a salt water bath, that will help draw out some of their moisture, resulting in crispier fries.
When should I season fries? If you are baking or air frying your french fries, season them before cooking. If frying, season right after they come out of the oil.
Dry the potatoes: It is important to dry your potatoes before frying them to prevent spattering. Use a clean towel to pat them dry on a sheet pan or put them into a salad dryer to remove the excess moisture. If you store the potatoes uncovered in your cooler overnight, this will help to further dry them out.
First let's talk about why cut potatoes need to be immersed in water to begin with. The reason is to prevent the potatoes exposure to air, which causes dehydration, oxidation, and discoloration. Immersing cut potatoes will also help rinse off excess starch.
Place them in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow them to soak, 2 to 3 hours. (You can also stick them in the fridge and let them soak overnight.)
You should soak potatoes in salt water before cooking, especially if you are making French fries or baked potatoes, or when you are preparing potatoes ahead of time. Soaking potatoes helps to draw out water and remove excess starch, giving you firmer potatoes when cooked.
The type of potatoes makes a difference.
If you use Russets you definitely want to soak them in water before frying because they have a high starch content but they will be crispier overall. Peanut oil or any light vegetable oil is necessary to make the best fried potatoes with the crispy crust you're looking for.
I peeled the potatoes and soaked them in water for eight hours, then cut and soaked them for eight hours longer. Before frying them, I laid them out on dish towels and let them dry completely. (This is important to prevent oil from bubbling up when the potatoes are dropped in.)
Salt. This one is a no-brainer. McDonald's uses salt to simply enhance the flavors of their french fries. According to their site, they add a small amount of salt after the fries are cooked.
Season the fries with salt in a front to back motion, side to side salting can cause salt to fall into the fryer and break the oil down faster. Keep the fries loose, don't stir them or toss with salt as this extra motion can cause the fries to break up into smaller pieces.
Soaking the sliced potatoes in cold water is one of the main steps to prepare perfect French Fries. The cold water removes the starch present outside the potatoes so that you get perfectly crispy fries.
The soaking process removes the troublesome starch on the outside of the potato, which will help the fries achieve the perfect crispness. Note: Because somewhere along the way I got into the habit of planning ahead for fries, I usually wind up soaking the fries for several hours, or even overnight.
First, get the starch off! Rinsing or soaking the potatoes for an hour (or, even better, overnight) will remove some of the starch from the surface and prevent the sugars from browning before the potatoes are cooked.
Air dry on paper towels; about 10 minutes. (Make sure the potatoes are dry before frying; you can dab them off with the paper towel if necessary.) Once potatoes are thoroughly dry, fry them 300-320 degree vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a large pot (a Dutch oven would work).
A: The main reasons to cut the potatoes and pre-soak in water are: To allow the excess starches and sugars to be removed from the outer surface of the fry strips AND to keep the potatoes from browning prematurely from exposure to air.
Soak the potato strips in water with a dash of apple cider vinegar. Soaking the potatoes draws starch to the exterior of the potato. This prevents fries from sticking together and helps them get crispy. Vinegar delays potatoes from turning brown and also speeds up the starch extraction.
Acrylamide is “a chemical produced when starchy foods such as potatoes are fried, roasted or baked at a high temperature,” explained Schiff in an email. The browning process is actually a reaction that produces this chemical one shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals and considered toxic to humans, said Schiff.
It's best to parboil before frying to save time and give cooked fluffy inside potatoes. Don't over boil so the potatoes don't lose shape or break down.
The key here is using something with a high smoke point. Neutral-tasting oils are great for frying: peanut, canola, vegetable, safflower, grape-seed, et cetera. These all have a smoke point well above 350°F.
Parboiling Makes Potatoes Cook Faster
Right. Parboiling actually pre-cooks the potatoes in the easiest way, and now they will roast, bake, or sauté much faster, just to name a few of my favorite methods for cooking parboiled potatoes.