If you want to make flawless french fries, soaking the sliced potatoes may just help you achieve the perfect crispy texture for your fries. As fries cook in the oven or fry in oil, the heat can draw moisture out, which evaporates and contributes to the resulting crispy texture. But potatoes are full of starch, which can block the moisture from leaving the potatoes.
As the potatoes soak in cold water, starch is drawn out of the potato and into the water. Then, when potatoes are cooked or fried, more of that moisture will be successfully removed. But how long should your potatoes soak to achieve this result?
If youre pressed for time, the slightly sticky, cut potatoes should be soaked for a minimum of 15 minutes. However, a longer soak time may allow more starch to be removed. So, if you can prep the fries ahead of time, a few hours of soaking can help make them even crispier.
In our homemade french fries recipe, we suggest soaking your potatoes for at least 15 minutes, but if you’d like to do this step ahead of time, they can soak overnight. Avoid excess water on the potatoes: make sure to pat them dry after removing them from the water bath otherwise you’ll end up with limp fries.
But it’s really true, guys: to get perfectly golden french fries that are soft in the middle and crisp on the surface, plunging potatoes straight into oil just doesn’t work. The starch on the outside of the potatoes interferes with the texture of the fries and never allows them to become nice and crisp, and in order to cook the fries long enough to soften the potato, the outside can often get to brown. Utter chaos, I’m telling you!
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. Last Sunday, for instance, I peeled and sliced the potatoes before church and let them soak while we were gone so they’d be ready to cook up when we got home. I’d say the minimum time you’d want to soak the potatoes would be an hour or so, but there’s definitely no harm in going longer.
But once you try french fries the way they’re meant to be made—and the way they’re made by most restaurants and fast food chains—you’ll have a hard time not trying to find ways to work french fries into your weekly menu. Whether or not this is a positive thing is something I’ll let you figure out.
The correct soaking time depends on the size of the fry
Depending on what style of french fries youre making, there is a limit to how long soaking will be beneficial. When making thicker-cut fries, the potatoes shouldnt soak for more than 24 hours — or 12 if youre prepping super-thin shoestring fries. After too long, the potatoes may start to absorb water, which could result in mushy fries. So, while an overnight soak may be beneficial for steak-cut french fries, you might want to allot only a few hours at most when it comes to thinner varieties.
If you do keep the sliced spuds soaking for a while, though, you may want to utilize your refrigerator. The low air temperature can help keep the potato water cold, which is essential for soaking your sliced potatoes. While cold water will draw the starch out of the potatoes, any added heat might activate it. This can create a sticky texture that will cling to the outside of the spuds, which can lead to uneven cooking or unpleasant textures.
Tips for Frying Potatoes⎢Martha Stewart’s Cooking School
FAQ
How long can potatoes soak in water before frying?
How long to soak french fries to remove starch?
How do you dry potatoes after soaking?
Can you soak chips overnight?
How long should french fries soak?
Depending on what style of french fries you’re making, there is a limit to how long soaking will be beneficial. When making thicker-cut fries, the potatoes shouldn’t soak for more than 24 hours — or 12 if you’re prepping super-thin shoestring fries. After too long, the potatoes may start to absorb water, which could result in mushy fries.
What is the nutrition and reason for eating french fries with skin left on?
As any fried meal, French fries provides high calories, a rich amount of saturated fat and trans fats, all known to increase blood cholesterol levels and hence coronary and cardiovascular diseases. When eating French fries with their skin on, the amount of fiber increases. Fiber is great to keep the digestive system working smoothly, however these benefits are insignificant when is eaten in fried foods.
Do you soak Fries in water before baking?
Whether you deep-fry them, air-fry them, or bake them in the oven, you should first soak your fries in water. Once you’ve peeled and cut your potatoes, submerge your fries in a bowl of cold water. This will help the potatoes to release some of their starches, which can be further rinsed off under running water after soaking.
Should you soak sliced potatoes before making french fries?
It might sound like a lot of work, but you won’t regret it if you want that restaurant-quality taste. This is why you should soak your sliced potatoes before making fries and for how long, plus more tips on how to achieve perfect French fry success.