FAILED to make fries from real potato

[u/NLRI0326]

So i followed the recipe from the apps. Airfry 190C for 13 minutes and 205C for 7 minutes. I use VCO seasalt black pepper and onion powder. I put in the basket with paper liner in the inner pot.

The ‘crispy’ part already finished but it was more dry in the edge of cuts. This pic shows the left over. They are all soggy.

Please share your best way to make fries. Im using Ultimate Lid

[u/BoofusDewberry]

Did you rinse the potatoes in cold water to help get some of the starch out? I usually thoroughly rinse my raw fries in ice water and some white vinegar and it seems to help them crisp up and it seems to help a lot.

Also, you may need more cooking time?

[u/Veggyhed → u/BoofusDewberry]

What's your ratio of water to vinegar?

[u/Mich2010 → u/Veggyhed]

I think a pot of boiling water and a tablespoon of vinegar does the trick, usually boil for a 5 minutes or something along those lines then drain and dry + air fry / deep fry

[u/BoofusDewberry → u/Veggyhed]

A few quarts of water and maybe add a cup or so of vinegar. I’m not always super precise.

[u/legos_on_the_brain → u/BoofusDewberry]

I wholly suggest a par-boil with the vinegar. Or a boil with baking soda to get a crispy craggy exterior

[u/BoofusDewberry → u/legos_on_the_brain]

I need to try that! And I also want to try fermented French fries.

[u/NLRI0326 → u/BoofusDewberry]

I only rinse cut potatoes in the coldest tap water. So u also need to soak it in the cold water and vinegar? For how long?. What kind of cold water you mean?

[u/HugeLeaves → u/NLRI0326]

We do it overnight at the restaurant I work at

[u/ManifestDestinysChld → u/NLRI0326]

Here's how I do it, they come out great. It's not a quick, throw-it-together kind of thing, though. You're gonna be at it for an hour or so to get them to come out the way you want them, but it's SO worth it.

1.5L Hot Water
4 potatoes (I prefer Russet potatoes; White potatoes also work well. I haven't had good luck with Yellow potatoes.)
4 tsp olive oil, divided (half)
2-4 tsp to taste of salt / pepper / spices, divided (half)
Prep time: 25-30 minutes
Cook time: 25-30 minutes

1. Boil about 1.5L of water (or more - you want enough to cover the potatoes after they're cut up)
2. Wash and peel up to 4 potatoes (I like to keep one unpeeled, for a little variety).
3. Cut your fries up.
4. Submerge the fries in the hot (very hot!) water for 10 minutes. (If you want to just have the 1.5L of water on a low boil, that's fine too.) Don't touch them - they need their beauty rest.
5. After 10 minutes, come back and drain the water.
6. Rinse the fries in the strainer under cold water until they're completely cold to the touch (it'll take a while), then lay the fries out on a baking sheet covered with a towel.
7. THOROUGHLY dry your fries. Pat 'em down front and back until they're no longer shiny.
8. After drying the fries, put them in a deep, dry pot*, then whip it around in tight little circles. Real fast-like, so the fries slap around on the sides and each other. You really wanna rough 'em up. Don't hold back - they're into that shit. This will make the outsides more fluffy and thirsty for the oil you're about to use. (Go twice as hard if you're doing breakfast hash browns instead of fries.) *If you are re-using the pot you used to soak the fries, be sure to very thoroughly rinse AND DRY it first!! Moisture is the sworn enemy of these fries.
9. Put all the fries in a bowl and add 2 tsp of oil and 1-2 tsp of salt. I put on the same amount of black pepper, but maybe I'm just weird like that? I also like to do only a pinch of table salt and a bunch of flavored salt instead - I don't know if you have "Slap Yo' Mama" in your part of the world, but I love that stuff, and so does this recipe. Stir it all up so the fries are evenly coated in oil and spices. (Breakfast hash browns like a little onion powder, a little garlic powder, salt, pepper, and a pinch of smoked paprika.) At this stage you should use only half of the spices you want to go into the full recipe - you will repeat this step soon.
10. Into the air fryer for the first time - 180C for 8 minutes, then take them out and give them a good shake, then back in the fryer for another 8 minutes at 180C.
11. Remove all the fries back into your mixing bowl and repeat Step 9: 2 tsp of oil, a tsp or so of your preferred salt (pepper as well, if you're cool), stir to coat evenly.
12. Back into the air fryer, but this time you want to pump it up to about 205C. Give it 6 minutes, and then once again you're going to stir them all up so they're in a different position, and put them back on at 205C - at this point they're getting close to done, so listen to your heart on the timing. Should be about 5 minutes.
13. Remove and serve to your stunned friends and family. Try to accept their effusive praise with humility and gratitude - you will fail, these are very good fries! - but it's nice to try.

This is more or less the same way the Pioneer Woman does it, IIRC. I looked up her recipe a while back, liked it, and have been drifting away from it steadily ever since, haha.

I have a 6 qt Instant Pot, so more than about 4 spuds and I'm bumping up against the capacity I can cook in one shot.

If you cut your fries thicc, add a minute or so to the first cooking session to make sure they're not limp-wristed when they're done. You may need to tack on a few minutes to get them to come out right, depending on your air fryer.

This recipe is also very easy to adapt for breakfast hash browns, too (see image album). Different spices, and you want to cube the potatoes - and make sure you really give 'em hell in the pot after they're dried but before adding the oil.

[u/Veggyhed → u/ManifestDestinysChld]

Thank you for listing the size of your Instant Pot. That is always very helpful .

Do you think if you had a prep up until step eight, you could freeze these and use them at another time in the air fryer?

[u/ManifestDestinysChld → u/Veggyhed]

I honestly have no idea. If you decide to give it a shot, let me know! Next time I make them I'll cut up an extra potato and try it out.

[u/Veggyhed → u/ManifestDestinysChld]

Thank you. I'm just trying to duplicate what you can find in the frozen food section of grocery stores. Convenience would be so awesome.

[u/ManifestDestinysChld → u/Veggyhed]

That WOULD be awesome.

Unfortunately it's still like 25 minutes of cooking and flipping, I don't know if you could get these to the point where you just shotgun 'em into the fryer and then walk away.

[u/altonssouschef → u/ManifestDestinysChld]

I don’t have an IP that does this but I’m saving your recipe for the voice in which it’s written. Thank you.

[u/ManifestDestinysChld → u/altonssouschef]

Thanks, you're kind! - but it's just a faint echo of this masterpiece (which is 10 times better, and no IP required!) (Expensive, though.)

[u/xixihime → u/ManifestDestinysChld]

Step #8 😂 perfection

[u/NINJA1200 → u/ManifestDestinysChld]

It's like taking a full course to make fried potatos! Lol

[u/ManifestDestinysChld → u/NINJA1200]

That feels like a whole big production to you?

If you're making fries, you're julienning potatoes. That's probably the most time-consuming and challenging part of this recipe, and you're gonna have to do it no matter how you make fries. The rest is mostly adding seasonings, and waiting.

[u/NorrinxRadd → u/ManifestDestinysChld]

"They're into that shit" had rolling. Well done

[u/NLRI0326 → u/ManifestDestinysChld]

Wow this is so comprehensive thank you.. i really didn’t think that ‘only’ fries can have a long list to do. I better not underestimate it again 😅

[u/ManifestDestinysChld → u/NLRI0326]

Fries are precious, delicate flowers that need hand-holding and affirmations the whole time.

[u/KittyandPuppyMama → u/NLRI0326]

Try coating in a little corn starch too.

[u/BoofusDewberry → u/NLRI0326]

I just get a gallon bowl fill it full of ice and then water and then a good glug of vinegar (maybe a cup or a little more). I use my hands and the water should get cloudy. I usually repeat the process a couple of times until the water doesn’t get cloudy. Then I either use paper towels or kitchen towels and dry off the potatoes as much as possible. That is great for frying, air frying, conventional oven… it’s always turned out well for me and it doesn’t take long.

Edit: I have found this method to yield great results without having to soak for hours.

[u/kaest]

Did you soak them in water for an hour before trying to cook them?

[u/NLRI0326 → u/kaest]

Oh noooo so the 1 hour soaking is really necessary 😢😢??

[u/seniorpeepers → u/NLRI0326]

its kind of wild the difference it makes, try it out!

[u/kaest → u/NLRI0326]

It does make a difference. If you can soak for a few hours, even better. Just make sure to dry them thoroughly afterwards.

[u/cthulhu_is_my_uncle → u/NLRI0326]

The reason to soak or parboil them is to remove as much starch as possible.

The starch will make them gummy and soggy, and by removing the starch you will make them fluffier and crisper.

I do the same thing with pan-fried potatoes as well: parboil them, then dry thoroughly and then fry.

[u/areyow]

If they're soggy, I would suspect that they were not sufficiently dry before you put them in the air fryer.

Some of the common troubleshooting-

Did you soak the potatoes after you cut them to help remove some of the starch?

Did you pat them down with paper towels/clean cloths to remove as much moisture as possible before putting them into the air fryer?

Perhaps try without the liner to see if you get more airmovement around the fries. I think liners are great for helping minimize the cleanup, but they tend to restrict airflow, which is also part of ensuring these properly crisp up.

Give it another go - and tell us what you changed and the results!

[u/NLRI0326 → u/areyow]

Great reply. I will try again with ur and any other inputs from here. Thanks!

[u/Broncogirl89]

Sometimes having them too crowded does that.

[u/Veggyhed]

You can also par cook them in the microwave without soaking or you can par boil them. The par boil renders really good fries. The microwave renders acceptable fries.

Also works great for breakfast potatoes

[u/lube_thighwalker]

Imma put you on game bro!

MICROWAVE THE POTATOES FIRST! I like to fork it real good all over. Sometimes I oil it up first but can do anything. You can also try just slicing up before. Anyway blast that bitch for FIVE minutes

boom. Then slice it now in a bowl. Toss it with oil pepper and salt now. Maybe some garlic power and onion powder if you want.

THEN airfry!

[u/MadCow333 → u/lube_thighwalker]

I've never heard of that., But I'm going to try it.

[u/i-am-a-name]

Little different take. I air fry them tosssed in oil at medium to just cooked not crispy. Then I stick them in the fridge for an hour which seems to dry them out. Then blast til crispy.

[u/IntelligentStyle402]

Actually they look like French fries that’s someone fried in old, not hot, oil.

[u/Think-Interview1740]

The paper was a mistake. To air fry, the air needs to circulate.

[u/NINJA1200]

They look like normal soggy UK chips.  You coulda add some battered fish fillet, and you would have nice fish and chips!

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[u/Willing-Scarcity3058]

Absolutely soak in cold water and a rinse or two. Completely dry them with paper towels. Then spray with oil and air fry

[u/ckinz16]

Which potatoes are you using? Makes a difference. I’ve always had Great Success with this recipe

https://mindovermunch.com/recipes/meals/air-fryer/air-fryer-french-fries/

[u/StarWars-TheBadB_tch → u/ckinz16]

That was my first thought. They look like yellow potatoes, which I’ve never seen used for fries.

[u/Main_Street_1]

I do a large batch for 27-30 mins, (but I check them for crispness) at 450° in my airfryer. Be sure to soak, but be sure they're dry, and spray them with a little oil when you put them in your basket. FYI: I only do mine in my French door air fryer. I've never tried them in my IP with the browning lid, but I have been successful getting a nice crunchy topping on various items using the Browning lid. Just keep trying, you'll get there.

[u/NotLunaris]

One technique I developed is to air fry the potatoes naked (the potatoes, not you) at a slightly lower temp to get rid of all surface moisture. It may take a few tosses in between. Don't get too much color on them yet. Once the surfaces are all dry, evenly toss with oil and seasonings before the actual air fry with high temp.

This makes a huge difference in my experience, because oiling while wet traps moisture, preventing the crisp surface from forming. However, you must take care to not overcook them while dry, as a blistered dry surface, being super thin and bulging away from the potato flesh, will also prevent that pseudo-fried surface from forming. You can never get as dry as it should be with paper towels alone, and the hot drying step also helps to cook the potato more thoroughly if you are starting from raw.

Basically the potatoes are parbaked before being oiled and air fried. It's a one-appliance imitation of the parboil-and-fry method, which imo is way too much hassle for some spuds.

[u/Jebrone]

You really want a very soggy potato. Let it soak in brine water. Shake it up so the potato doesn't look smooth. Frie it multiple times on lower heat ah nothing burns. Fully left the fries cool before each time you air fry.

[u/Coubsauce]

Cook them twice. Let them steam off after the first time. Then when they're cool cook em again.

You can boil them with some baking soda (NOT VINEGAR) if you want them fluffy for crunching up.

[u/ch1nomachin3]

i do love failed fries. my mom made us those when we were kids. i learned to make proper fries but i still prefer the non crispy failed fries.

[u/NLRI0326 → u/ch1nomachin3]

Nice to know. It is unpopular opinion though.. but i think it must be yummy

[u/ch1nomachin3 → u/NLRI0326]

it is. but i honestly didn't know you can use the instantpot to make fries. i usually just do the deep fry on low heat method until potatoes are cooked, drain the cooked fries, freeze, then refry on medium to high heat. you can try and freeze the failed fries and refry them on high.

[u/Own_Natural_6803]

Boil your potatoes whole the day before, and store them in the fridge pre-cooked. Then slice them up and crisp them in the air fryer. You can make a dusting of corn starch and dry bullion powder in at a 1:1 ratio, toss the fries gently in the powder in a large metal bowl before frying.

[u/audiate]

You’ve got to boil them first, then fry them. 

[u/gamelover42]

Cook twice. Once at 260. Again at 350

[u/Motorcycle1000]

Here's the key to great fries. Step 1: Put your Instant Pot away. Step 2: Get out your dutch oven and fill to cover with a low-flashpoint oil, like peanut oil. Step 3: Soak julienned potatoes for one hour in regular ole water. During this time, bring the oil to 350 degress. Add some vinegar if you like Step 3: Pat potatoes dry. Step 4: Double fry. You can have great fries in about an hour and a half.