I Love French Fries

I’m a french fry connoisseur. I’ve always loved french fries. When I was a young lad, my mums would buy a big bag of Ore Ida French Fries. She would cook them in Crisco shortening that came in a can. This was before Trans-Fat was a bad word.

When I was old enough to cook, I started making them myself. I remember a time when I ate a bag of fries that my mother was planning to use for a meal. I didn’t know she was saving them. She was furious once she discovered that I had eaten them. I got in a great deal of trouble that day, but it did not quench my desire for fries.

While in the military, several of my friends and I would get together and cook. Most would prepared traditional dishes, but I made french fries. I would buy some grease (Crisco shortening) and a bag of fries. I cooked fries so often, I had it down to a science.

Cooking Instructions

I’d heat my grease for 7 minutes over medium to high heat. I even had a dedicated pot that I’d cook them in. I put the fries in the grease and let them cook for 7 minutes and then I stir them. I usually have to cook them for 3 to 4 more minutes before taking them out of the hot grease with a straining spoon.

Something Taste Different

Sometime between 1996 - 2001, Ore Ida changed their french fry recipe. I had been eating this same brand for the 20 years. I could believe what had happened. The change in taste was so drastic that I stopped buying them and started to search for another brand.

Ditching the Trans Fat

Remember, earlier I said that I used Crisco shortening. Well, I stopped using that many years ago and now I use Canola Oil. I’ve probably done my body some good by switching from a Trans Fat (Saturated Fat) based shortening to a (Non Saturated Fat) oil. Anyway, let’s get back to the story.

Nathan's French Fries

I tried Walmart, Publix, Harris-Teeter, and many other grocery store brands. They all lacked something. The taste was just not the same as my beloved pre-1996 Ore Ida French Fries. I went to a grocery store in Georgia called, Ingles and tried Nathan's French Fries. Nathan's is more known for their hot dogs.

I whipped up a batch of these and Bam! I had struck it rich. I finally found a brand of fries that I liked.

Ingle's was the only grocery store that sold Nathan’s French Fries and there were times they were not in stock. This happened on many occasions. I had to find another brand, because I can't go too long without some fries.

Whole Foods Market

Not too far from my job, a Whole Foods Market, a high end grocery store opened. I decided to try their 365 Brand of French Fries. To my surprise, they were really good and reasonably priced.

Whenever I’d run out of fries, I would buy 3 to 4 bags at time. This would cause some strange looks and comments from the cashiers.

‘You sure do like French Fries don’t you?’, one cashier exclaimed. I’d smile and say, ‘Yes, I do’.

One day after cooking a batch the 365 brand of fries and starting to eat them, I’d noticed they were hard. The texture of the fries was tough. I don’t remember the fries being like this before. So, I changed my cooking oil, hoping this was the cause of my problem.

I tried a couple of different cooking oils and the fries were still hard. I was starting to think that Whole Foods had changed the formula of their 365 brand of French Fries. I was hurt. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me again.

Back to Square One

Undeterred, I started to think about an alternative. Maybe I should consider making own fries. How about buying potatoes and cutting them up? Would that be a solution? Okay, I did just that. Peeling potatoes and then cutting them up was a bit time consuming, however. But the fries did taste pretty good. I need to make the process easier and more efficient.

French Fry Cutter

Consequently, I started researching on Amazon for a French Fry cutter. I found a New Star French Fry cutter for $59.00. It had very good reviews. I thought it was a bit expensive. But, oh well, I’d give it a try.

I placed my order. Upon receiving the package, the first thing I noticed was the size of the box. It big and a bit heavy. After removing the parts from the packing, I had to assemble this thing. The handle on it must weigh at least 4 or 5 pounds. It is made of pure steel. This is a commercial food server gadget.

I had some potatoes in the refrigerator. I washed a couple off and sliced them in my new French Fry Cutter. It was very easy. The blades on the cutter makes the fries a bit thicker than I was accustomed to. Therefore, my first batch of fries that I cooked did not come out too well. I under cooked them. I had to increase my cooking time.

Tweaking the Cooking Algorithm

The 2nd time I tried, I preheated the cooking oil for 7 minutes over medium to high heat (between 7 and 8 on the dial). Place the fries in the cooking oil for 7 minutes and then stirred them. Cooked them for another 7 minutes and stirred again. After cooking for two additional minutes, the french fries were golden brown with semi crunchy exterior with a soft interior. I removed the fries from the cooking oil and place on a pan. I add about a ½ teaspoon of Morton’s Salt (Blue label) and the fries are ready to eat.

Now, I don’t buy store brand french fries anymore. My homemade fries tastes better than the original Ore Ida from yesteryear. Furthermore, I will not be at the whim of some corporate chef who decides to change recipe of their french fries.

I'm not sure if there are others who love french fries as much as I do and can relate to my experience, but if so, I hope I motivated you to make your own french fries.

All this talk about french fries, has made me hungry. Who would like some homemade french fries?

---

Follow Me

If you like this post, check out my summary page