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Do I need to Cold Rinse and Drain Ribbon Fries Before Frying?

Q:

I want to make Ribbon fries, but need to know the first step…is it best to cut, cold rinse, drain and then fry? Or can you just cut and fry?

A:

Of course, you could do either, and many pleasant culinary discoveries are made by trial-and-error! However, I’d recommend immediately immersing the freshly-cut ribbon fries in chilled water with a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar (about a teaspoon per gallon) to minimize discoloration. This will also serve to rinse off some of the surface starch; which, if left as-is may make the fries stick together in clumps in the fryer.