I am in charge of preparing many orders of French fries for our local charity. I’ve been told to blanch the fries in advance but that seems to be the only advice I get.  How long do I blanch? Once blanched, I’m sure I drain but what then, Refrigerate, Freeze? I am looking at maybe 15 to 30 servings per weekend event.

First, you should cut the fries and rinse them to get rid of any excess starch or sugar. Then, store them in water with some concentrated lemon juice (1 tablespoon to one gallon ratio), drain and fry. Be sure to pull them out once the fries have a glazed look and they are little limp (depends on the cut for how long it takes). Then place them in bus tubs, not too deep, uncovered. Cool to room temperature, then it’s ok to refrigerate. Put lids on the tubs until needed for final frying.