Ask Dr. Potato | Search results for: "blanching" ( × clear results )

Q: With the rising cost of frozen French fries we are exploring doing more potatoes from scratch, your thoughts? At our school we have moved more towards using fresh potatoes, any tips on washing them?

Q: What exactly is the story behind why I need to be concerned about the starch in an Idaho potato when I am making fresh cut French fries?

Q: As a potato expert can you advise me on a situation that has developed at our restaurant?  We serve fresh cut Idaho® Russet Potatoes, we have been doing this for 4 years. Potato quality was consistent over the period. Recently, the over the last month all of the potatoes turn dark in the fryers before they are done. Finished product is very dark and not crispy. We are using the same vegetable fry oil we have always used and change it every 3 days. We 1st cut the potato and then let them sit in 5 gallon buckets of fresh water, until we immerse them in the oil based on orders to the kitchen. Our customers have noticed the change and our quality has suffered. Changing suppliers did not help. I assume there may be a difference in this falls crop? Will the amount of starch or sugars in the potato have something to do with it?

Q: What is the best way to make fresh hashbrowns and then freeze them for future use?

Q:    My fresh fries keep turning out limp, do you have any suggestions?

Q: Someone told me that my potatoes have too much sugar in them and that is why they fry up dark.  They said I need to “re-condition” the potatoes.  Can you tell me what exactly this means and how long it takes?