Fries, French fries, fried potatoes, or whatever you want to call it, are the commonest of junks in the world. The wafting aroma of fries is usually enough to whet one’s appetite. However, French fries are generally enough to whets one’s appetite. However, French fries can taste bad when they get cold. Furthermore, chips lose their appeal as their texture distorts. It is because they take in moisture from the surroundings. Then starch present softens and changes their texture. Besides, the fats in the fries become oxidized due to exposure to oxygen. It, in turn, ruins their flavor. Want to make them hot again? Just reheat fries if you want them warm still.
Ways to Reheat Fries
There are diverse options you can use to reheat your fries. You may use a deep fryer, an oven, a microwave, or even a toaster oven. Of course, not all methods work best for many but are worth the try. You can follow any of the method procedures as outlined below.
Reheating Fries in Deep Fryer
- Pour some tablespoons of oil into the deep fryer when it is off and relatively cold. It prevents any mishap of hot oil splattering on you.
- Turn on the deep fryer.
- Now, wait as your oil heats up. Cover your deep fryer with a lid if it has one. Heat the oil to a temperature of up to 375° Fahrenheit. Make sure not to overheat your oil to the extent it emits smoke.
- Dip your fries slowly into the fryer. Avoid dropping your chips into the fryer as they may splash hot oil onto you and possibly burning you.
- Fry your fries until they brown nicely. A maximum of 5-8 minutes will do.
- Have your fries out from the oil and place them on a dry container or plate as you await them to cool before eating.
Hold on a second! Celebrating over reheated fries by a deep fryer is not that enticing after all. Researchers have been able to discover toxic compounds present in some oils when heated at an appropriate temperature for frying.
It is worth mentioning that the benefit of using a deep fryer is that you can reuse the cooking oil more than two times (preferably three or four times). Otherwise, reusing cooking oil when not using a deep fryer has a detrimental effect on your health.
Reheating Fries in the Oven/Toaster Oven
- Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Take a baking sheet or any flat pan and rim an aluminum foil across it. The essentiality of the foil is to prevent the fries from sticking to the baking dish or any flat pan you are using.
- Spread your fries on the baking sheet or flat pan. Place your chips on the baking sheet/ flat pan in an even widespread manner to avoid them sticking together or being soggy when reheating.
- Bake the fries for 3 minutes or until they thoroughly heat.
- Remove the fries from the oven and put them onto a plate ready to eat.
This method inevitably revives your fries to be golden and crisp. However, it could not be to your satisfaction!
Reheating Fries in Microwave
- Place your fries on a microwave-proof dish. Use paper tissues to absorb the excess oil and also to allow moisture to escape. The humidity keeps the chips soggy and soft, and you surely don’t want that. You want to obtain them dry and crispy as ever.
- Add a little salt to give it taste.
- Heat for 3 minutes.
- When they are ready, stop heating. Spread your fries on a plate and allow them to cool for about 2 minutes, serve.
This method is as precise as its short, simple procedure. No additions required. On the negative side, microwave reheating makes the fries to lose their crispiness.
Mind you for the fries to be fried; initially, they had undergone dehydration of their outer layer while the inside one remained moist. Now when you happen to microwave the chips, the fries’ molecules are in bombardment with each other, producing friction. It, in turn, produces heat and then steam. The moisture afterward expands to penetrate the dehydrated outer layer hence losing its crispiness, turning out to be soggy.
Reheating Fries in a Stove
- Heat a heavy skillet over mid-high heat for about 3 minutes.
- Add a tablespoon of oil.
- Add your fries to the skillet making sure you stir for about 5 minutes until they become crispy.
- Remove them and place them on a kitchen towel or paper towel to draw off any excess fat – finally, you can serve and eat.
Means of a stove is a quick method of reheating your fries. When you compare it to microwave reheating, this method is much more time consuming but still worth the wait. It suits the one who is not in a hurry.
The Bottom Line is that
When those fries get cold, do not think of disposing of them off just because they are cold. You have seen that there are various ways to reheat your chips so that you could enjoy them again. Microwaves, ovens, stoves play a vital role in ensuring we consume better, crispy fries.
I would have to pick microwave reheating as my best method, probably because of its shorter preparation time. What might yours be? All the same, though, I hope one works for you best.
There is no need to waste those fries that you bought, perhaps in a café, hotel, or even homemade chips. One method may be fruitful to you and unsuccessful to another. Just bear in mind the countless ways of how to reheat fries whenever they get cold. So your love of chips does not end when they turn cold; it is just but the beginning of reinventing your appetite and appeal for fries.
