FOOD NEWS
How Long Should You Soak Potatoes When Making Fries?
by MARIA SCINTO
You may have heard home chefs suggest soaking your potatoes in water when making french fries. This step will ensure a crispy fry, and there’s a scientific reason.
Soaking the potatoes first removes excess acrylamide, a food starch. Although naturally occurring, too much of the starch makes the fries go limp.
You need to remove enough of the starch to get crispy fries. Per a study in Science of Food and Agriculture, soaking the cut potatoes for two hours lowers acrylamide levels by 48%.
If you are in a hurry, however, 30 minutes will still take out 38% of the acrylamide, while a simple cold water rinse removes 23% of the starch.