Want safer fries?

French fries or chips, as we know them, are a favourite food among many people, especially the young. Chips have been linked with causing cancer but there is no conclusive evidence. However, it is better to be safe than sorry, especially when feeding children. A while back, Swiss scientists developed safer ways of cooking chips to minimise cancer-causing acrylamide.

Firstly, store your potatoes at temperatures above 10 degrees centigrade. Before cooking, immerse sliced potatoes in cold water for 15 minutes to extract asparagine and sugars. Deep fry in oil at 140 degrees centigrade for two and half minutes then deep fry a second time at 170 degrees centigrade using one litre of vegetable oil for every 100 grammes of potatoes, until they look crispy, with slight browning at the tips.

Published on April 2013