METHODS OF MANUFACTURING POTATO CHIPS. 3 



first-class chips by methods as simple as possible, equally applica- 

 ble at home or in a factory. The following methods were tried : 



(1) Following the recipe given ;>bove. 



(2) Washing in cold water, which was then shaken oft"; not dried. 



(3) Washing in cold water; dipping in hot water; not dried. 



(4) Washing in cold water; dried between towels. 



(5) Washing in cold water, dipping in hot and again in cold water; not 

 dried. 



(6) Washing in cold salt water and then in clear, cold running water; 

 dipping in hot water ; then in cold water and dried. 



(7) Soaking in cold water for 24 hours: dipping in hot water; again in cold 

 water ; dried. 



(8) Not washed or dried; fried as soon as sliced. 



(9) Not washed; dried before frying. 



(10) Dipping in hot water immediately after slicing; then in cold; drained 

 but not dried. 



Some of these methods produced good chips. Certain others, 

 notably Xos. 8, 9, and 10, resulted in a distinctly poor product, soggy 

 and uneven. There was no apparent advantage from the use of the 

 salt-water bath in Xo. 6. Nor was it found that the hot-water bath 

 was at all essential to producing crisp, nongreasy, high-grade chips. 

 Cutting the potatoes into thin, even slices with an accurate vegetable 

 slicer, soaking them thoroughly in clear, cold water after an initial 

 bath of cold running water, and frying them in a clean, high-grade 

 fat at a high temperature were found to be the three essentials in 

 producing crisp, highrquality chips. 



FATS USED IN THE EXPERIMENTAL WORK. 



Deep- fat frying to the minds of many housekeepers means frying 

 in lard, and many cookbook recipes for potato chips specify the use 

 of lard. Pure leaf lard, therefore, headed the list of fats which were 

 experimented with. Tl*en came various lardlike derivatives of cot- 

 tonseed oil, half a dozen standard brands of cottonseed oil, several 

 samples of peanut oil, coconut oil, and a mixture of lard and beef 

 suet. 



The most satisfactory frying medium was found to be a high- 

 grade cottonseed oil, and this was adopted as (he standard in sub- 

 sequent rooking tests. Good cottonseed oil was clear and bland and 

 practically flavorless. It proved to he tin- most economical fat, both 

 because of ;i lower initial cost and ;i minimum of waste in cooking; 

 ami :i comparison of chips fried in (he different fats demonstrated 

 uperiority in behavior during cooking and in the flavor of the 

 finished product. Both the lard and the lard and suet mixture im 

 parted n flavor or aftertaste thai was unpleasant In some people and 

 left :i < ■ 1 f 1 1 1 . 1 \ coating on the chip thai made them less attractive 

 than i ho clear yellow brown glo of chipi Pried in oil. All the vege 



