I operate 2 busy burger shacks. Fresh cut French fries are a major component of our business. We are not able to access city water services at either location, which necessitates our having to truck our water into each site. This being the case, we are very conscious of water consumption. We are very focused on correct blanching and finished cooking temperatures. We use only russet potatoes. We use only canola oil, which is filtered daily and replaced regularly. Our issue is the dark, unappetizing appearance of our finished product, only at the beginning of our season when we are receiving last year's potato crop. As soon as we make the transition to them new crop, our finished product is picture perfect. A beautiful golden colour. We do wash ALL potatoes prior to chipping even though they are identified as being pre-washed.

I am wondering if the fact that we do not rinse our fresh cut fries prior to blanching might be contributing to the dark, burnt appearance? We store our blanched fries in a walkin cooler, until they are needed for our line. Would sincerely appreciate any insight you can provide. Many thanks in advance for your assistance.