Potatoes must be cold in order to make amazing fries. True or false?
Refrigerating potatoes before cutting them into homemade French fry strips and frying is a big no-no. What happens to the potato when kept refrigerated at say 40° F or 4.5 degrees Celsius? The fast food standard in the USA historically has been the Russet Burbank from Idaho, pictured below.
At 40 ° F, the starch in the potato starts to turn to sugar. So, you’ll end up with fries that turn dark or caramelize prematurely, before the French fry strips are fully cooked.