Just figured out the trick to crispy fries without pre-boiling

I kept making soggy fries in my air fryer no matter how long I cooked them. Then a buddy said to soak them in cold water for 30 minutes then pat them bone dry before tossing in oil. Did that with some russet potatoes last night and they came out crunchy as hell. Anyone else got a weird prep trick that changed their results?

3 comments

3 Comments

adam_thompson532mo ago

Soaking potatoes... man it's just fries, not a science experiment. Did they really taste that much better or you just wanted to use your air fryer for something besides chicken nuggets?

the_john2mo ago

The soak actually does something nobody talks about - it changes the oil temp while cooking. Those little starch particles that come off during soaking are what makes your oil smoke and burn at a lower temp. Less starch in the water means less burnt taste on the fries. That's why restaurant fries taste different than home ones, they soak em for hours sometimes. Plus the water soaking pulls out some sugar content so they brown more evenly instead of getting those dark burned spots. So yeah it's kind of a science thing but not in a pretentious way lol.

king.andrew1mo ago

adam_thompson53 you say it's not a science experiment but have you actually TRIED the soak side by side? I did it with my russets last week and the difference was MASSIVE. The soaked ones had this crunch that held up even after they sat for 10 minutes while the unsoaked ones went limp and greasy. How long do you usually cut your fries before cooking? Because I notice if I go thicker than 1/4 inch they come out more like potato wedges no matter how long I soak or cook them.