French Fried Potatoes

French fried potatoes, more commonly known as “fries,” have become a staple of the American diet, but not many people know where and how they originate. Fries have been around for hundreds of years, first appearing in the United States in the 19th century, at a time when potatoes were a popular crop in the Northeast.

From the potato farm to the dinner plate, the journey of French fried potatoes is complex, involving multiple steps and many different players in the food system, such as farmers, distributors, processors, and restaurants. Every step of the journey of a single french fry is managed to ensure quality and safety.

In this article, we’ll look at the entire process of how French Fries make it to a dinner plate.

Thefirst step of the journey starts in the potato field. Potato farmers use soil testing and plant analysis to determine the best variety of potato that will produce the quality and yield desired. Potatoes are planted within 150-300 mm rows and cultivated by hand or machine to clear weeds, aerrate the soil, and improve soil fertility. After seven or eight weeks of maturation, they’re harvested in late summer to early fall when the leaves have withered and the potato skin is hard.

Harvesting of potatoes takes place by hand-picking or machinery. Mechanical harvesting is common for larger farms; however, hand harvesting of potatoes is still a popular practice in many parts of North America due to the smaller number of farms and labor force working for small land-holdings. Harvested potatoes are then stored in ventilated bags or boxes and refrigerated in order to maintain nutrient quality and extend shelf life.

After harvesting and storing, potatoes travel a long journey from farm to factory. Yukon Gold potatoes are grown across the western and northern parts of Canada and the US, so it can take several days just to reach the factories where they are processed into fries.

The factory receives the potatoes and sends them through a washing process, which removes soil and other materials. After that, the potatoes are scrubbed to get rid of any dirt and tough skin. This step is important for ensuring quality, as the toughest skin parts will give poor slicing results.

The potatoes are then cut into fry-sized strips, usually 3/8 inches thick, in a process called slicing. The potatoes are fed into a slicing machine that uses circular knives to create the perfect shape of fry-sized strips. Once cut, the strips are then washed thoroughly with cold water to remove any remaining dirt or debris. Washing also helps remove excess starch, which could cause the fries to stick together when frying.

The slices are put into a blanching machine where they are pre-cooked. This step partially cooks the potatoes and ensures the potatoes are cooked all the way through at the end. The fries are then cooled rapidly and dried with fans to remove moisture, stabilizing the potato’s internal structure and preventing the fries from sticking together.

After the fries are fried a fourth time, they are salted. A light coating of vegetable oil is applied before salting to ensure the seasoning adheres properly. Fries are typically seasoned with a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt.

From the factory, French fries make their way to restaurants, where they can be deep-fried, grilled, or baked. The process of deep-frying involves submerging the fries in hot oil—usually vegetable oil or, more recently, peanut oil—which quickly seals the outside and locks in the flavor, producing crispy, delicious fries.

Cooking the fries can take anywhere from three to five minutes, depending on the type of fry and the cooking temperature. Restaurants typically use a double-frying method, which involves frying the potatoes twice at lower temperatures initially and then raising the temperature at the end to give them a golden-brown crispness.

Once they’re cooked, the French fries are then removed from the oil; any excess oil is drained off and they’re placed on paper towels to absorb any remaining grease. The fries are then seasoned with herbs, spices, and salt, before being served.

The journey of a French fry is complete when it’s served steaming hot to a plate and enjoyed. Fries are nutrition-packed food item with great flavor, making them an essential and beloved part of many people’s diets.

Today, we have a better understanding of the complexity of French fry production, from the farmer’s field to the dinner plate. With the increasing demand for potatoes worldwide, it’s important to understand the environmental and nutritional value of French fries and how their creation and journey affects our food system.