Have you ever wondered what type of potato is best for potato salad and which is best for french fries? Are french fries french? Lets start with are french fries french? The answer is no, but here is how they came to be called the french fry. According to Belgian lore, poor villagers often ate small fish they caught in the river which they fried,
- During the winter the river would freeze, making fishing impossible so the villager had to find another food source.
- The villagers turned to the potato and started slicing and frying it much in the same way they cooked the fish.
- American soldiers stationed in Belgium were first introduced to French fries during World War 1.
The official language of the Belgian army was French so the soldiers nicknamed the fried potatoes “French fries.” What type of potato makes the best french fries, Russets, This mealy potato is high in starch and low in moisture which makes them absolutely delicious for french fries.
- The russets do not stop there, the high starch content makes for a fluffy baked potato.
- Russets do not fair as well boiled though, they often fall apart and require a good amount of butter and/or milk and become moist.
- As mentioned above these potatoes can fall apart which can make then less than perfect for soups and stew that call for whole pieces of potato but are excellent for thickening soup.
What potato is best for stews, potato salad or just plain boiled? New potatoes and fingerlings. The potatoes are a low starch or waxy potato. These potatoes contain a lot of water which prevents them from absorbing too much water when cooked. They have a slightly thinner skin so they are easy to eat unpeeled making them an excellent source of fibre.
What potato is considered the all purpose potato? Yukon Gold’s are excellent baking potatoes, and are great mashed. While these potatoes do well boiled or roasted, they also contain enough starch to be mashed. White potatoes such as Superior, Kennebec and Shepody potatoes are smooth with a buff skin and flesh.
These varieties are good for baking, boiling a roasting. Red potatoes such as Norland,Chieftain and Redsen have a creamy flesh and are good for baking, boiling, mashing and salads.
What are the best russet potatoes for french fries?
Best potatoes for French fries – The best variety of Russet potatoes for french fries is the Russet Burbank. Among the Russet potatoes (best starch to water ratio for fries) the best shaped variety is the Russet Burbank. Get your Russet potatoes here. 
Russet Burbank are one of the best potatoes for French fries Another benefit of Russet Burbank potatoes is that they are quite large, allowing you to cut them into long fries. I also like to leave the skins on my fries and find that Russet Burbank skins give the crispiest texture.
Are all potatoes the same for french fries?
All potatoes are not the same – With time, I came to understand that not all potatoes work the same for making french fries, and the way you fry them really makes a difference. So if you want to make the perfect french fry that is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, make sure to keep reading.
To make restaurant-quality french fries at home you’ll need large potatoes (we’ll get more into this below), oil, a deep fryer or a pot, and salt or any other spices you want to add. With these simple ingredients, you can make this essential comfort food from the comfort of your kitchen. I doubt you’ll be able to make it through this article without craving a huge plate of fries.
So, cancel whatever plans you had this evening and have a french fry-making party to show off your new culinary skills.
Which potatoes are best for frying?
Starch content – Starchy potatoes have a high starch and low water content. The high starch content means they can get very crispy but it also means they lose their shape easily. They have thicker skins and are usually larger in size. When making french fries, I like to select the biggest Russet potatoes and leave the skins on to fry.
Can you put sweet potatoes on french fries?
What are the Best Potatoes for French Fries? – Making the ideal french fries is not difficult, but you must use the best potatoes for french fries. For instance, if you want to make baked french fries, it will be different than making fried french fries or even whipped potatoes.
You can certainly use russet potatoes, but there are also other choices that might better suit your purposes and style preferences. Your first step should be to consider what kind of frying method you prefer. If you want to bake them and cook them yourself at home without using a deep fryer, then those types of potatoes won’t work as well as some others.
Here’s a list of some great options: