Combined Effects of Frying Parameters and Oil Content on Moisture Levels in French Fries

The variations in moisture and oil contents of 0.05 m x 0.005 m x 0.005 m slices of potatoes during deep-fat-frying were determined after various frying times at frying temperatures of 150°C, 160°C, 170°C, 180°C and 19O0C. Sunflower seed oil was used as the frying medium. A multiple linear regression model was applied successfully to describe the variation of moisture content with respect to temperature, time and oil content. Oil uptake was found to be negatively correlated with moisture content and changed quadratically with frying time. Moisture content decreased, while oil content increased as temperature and/or frying time increased. Variations in oil uptake and moisture loss remained almost constant after 120sec of frying process.