Emily+Atchison+and+Cate+Reem+-+Effect+of+Temperature+on+Amount+of+Oil+in+French+Fries

Title: Oil Content of French Fries Based on Oil Temperature

Question: How does cooking temperature affect the oil content of french fries?

Background: French fries are a snack or side dish most commonly associated with fast food. They’re potatoes fried in oil or fat of some kind--for this experiment we’ll use canola oil. Oils have a point at which the temperature is too high and they begin to decompose and release visible smoke into the air. This is called smoke point. For canola oil, the smoke point is 238 degrees Celsius, which is 460 degrees Fahrenheit ("Cooking Oil."). Oil is a type of fat, and are the reason fries contain fat at all--potatoes on their own have none. Fat packs many more calories than carbohydrates or other nutrients, and while necessary for normal metabolism function, are often minimized in diets (Lipids: Determination of Fat In French Fries). Due to this perceived health issue, this is a topic very heavily looked into lately. According to recent studies, prepping fries with infrared heat can reduce oil uptake by up to 1/3 ("Infrared Heat Reduces Oil Content in Fries."). This idea is revolutionary in the field and has great potential to be a healthier option, reducing the uptake by 37.1%. It can be used on both fresh fries and partially processed fries (Wood). As you can see, our research is relevant. According to other sources, you can reduce oil uptake by similar amounts by frying them once instead of twice, and starting the frying oil at room temperature ("Cold Oil French Fries (Chips) Absorb Less Oil."). We’re excited to add our own discoveries to this exciting field of research.

Hypothesis: French fries that I spend longer in the fryer will absorb a greater amount of oil.

Materials: > > > >
 * 12 Potatoes -
 * Fryer
 * Canola oil -
 * Measuring tools -

Methods: > > >> > > > >
 * 1)  Measure 8 cups of oil
 * 1)  Make some fries
 * 1)  Recipe: Peel potatoes. Cut into 2 inch by ¼ inch strips. Soak in cold water for an hour. Cook fries in 8 cups of canola oil in deep fryer, for six minutes
 * 1)  Measure the amount of oil left over in the fryer after removing the fries
 * 1)  Profit
 * 1)  Repeat
 * 1)  Eat fries. But not the mushy ones.

Purpose: Our goal is to find out if cooking fries at higher temperatures reduces the oil absorbed, making the amount of oil you potentially consume less, in other words, whether or not it makes the fries healthier for you.

Bibliography:

"Cooking Oil." Cooking Oil. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. [|__http://www.culinary-yours.com/frying_oil.html__]

Lipids: Determination of Fat In French Fries. N.p.: n.p., n.d. PDF. [|__http://course1.winona.edu/tnalli/spring05/209labs/expt7.pdf__]

Wood, Marcia. "French Fries' Oil Content: It's Lower with Infrared Heat." French Fries' Oil Content: It's Lower with Infrared Heat. Phys.org, 30 July 2013. Web. 06 Dec. 2013. [|__http://phys.org/news/2013-07-french-fries-oil-content-infrared.html__]

"Cold Oil French Fries (Chips) Absorb Less Oil." Azlias Kitchen Cold Oil French Fries Chips Absorb Less Oil Comments. N.p., 2 Apr. 2012. Web. 06 Dec. 2013. [|__http://www.azeliaskitchen.net/cold-oil-french-fries-chips-absorb-less-oil/__]

"Infrared Heat Reduces Oil Content in Fries." Infrared Heat Reduces Oil Content in Fries. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2013. __ [] __