Microwaves + Frying Make French Fries Healthier

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DbluW27AORk/French fries with less oil, faster cooking, and still plenty of crunch? Food scientists think microwave energy could help make that possible.Researchers at the University of Illinois studied what happens inside French fries during conventional and microwave-assisted frying. As potatoes cook, water escapes and can create negative pressure inside tiny pores—essentially sucking cooking oil into the fry. Microwave energy changes that process. It heats water throughout the potato, generating vapor and higher internal pressure that helps keep oil from penetrating. Experiments found microwave frying could substantially shorten cooking time and reduce oil absorption compared with conventional frying. But there’s a catch: microwave frying alone can produce soggy fries. That’s why researchers propose a hybrid fryer. Microwave energy would reduce cooking time and oil uptake, while conventional hot-oil frying would provide the browning and crisp texture consumers expect. And this isn’t something to try by simply putting fries in your kitchen microwave. The research used specialized microwave-frying equipment, and the technology is being considered primarily for commercial food production. Researchers say existing continuous fryers could potentially be modified with microwave generators. References on my website.#FrenchFries #Nutrition #FoodScience #HealthyEating #MedicalResearch