Why Do You Need to Blanch Potatoes for French Fries Production

Blanching potatoes refers to heat treatment of plant foods that need to be refrigerated to prevent food spoilage. And the blanching process is related to the inactivation of enzymes, so it is important for the quality assurance of long-term stored food. For this, blanching potatoes is an important part in frozen French fries production.

What is the function of blanching potatoes?

There are four functions as follows:

Blanching potatoes is to inhibit the enzymatic activity and improve the texture of fries, which can stabilize the color and maintain the texture of the fries.
Due to the gelatinization of starch on the surface of the fries during the blanching process, the ability of the fries to absorb oil is reduced. So this step is necessary for the next procedure about frying.
In addition, blanching can extract the reducing sugar from the fries, reducing the content of reducing sugar in the fries. Because the lower the reducing sugar content, the lighter the color of the fries. For this, the reducing sugar content in French fries should be less than 0.4%.
Finally, the heat treatment in the blanching process partially matures the fries, which can also reduce the frying time of the fries. To ensure the whole working efficiency.

What is the best blanching time for French fries production?

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blanching time

With the increase of blanching time, the browning value of French fries gradually decreased and gradually stabilized after 60 s. Considering the effects of blanching time on the hardness, VC content, degree of enzyme inactivation, browning degree, and fuel consumption of French fries. So you can determine the best blanching of French fries with a thickness of 8-10mm and the cutting length of 60-70 mm, with 100 ℃ boiling water. And the blanching time is 4min.

Why do you require blanching potatoes?

Blanching potatoes can help remove the skin, keep them fresh, protect the color, and preserve the potatoes. As for French fries, the benefits are as follows: