The great frozen french fry experiment that went a little too far

I had a bag of store-bought fries and some russet potatoes, so I decided to test both in my air fryer at 400 degrees. The frozen ones came out okay, but the homemade ones I cut myself turned into these tiny, crispy potato rocks after 15 minutes. My partner walked in, picked one up, and said, 'Did you make croutons?' The fresh ones just dried out completely! Has anyone nailed the time and temp for real potato fries in these things?

4 comments

4 Comments

michael6692mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, I soak my cut potatoes in water first and it helps a lot.

robins832mo ago

Totally, the drying part is so real. I got impatient once and put them in still damp and it was a whole sad, steamy mess. Now I pat them down like I'm trying to solve a crime with a paper towel.

davis.noah2mo ago

Been there, those potato rocks are a rite of passage. Soaking them like @michael669 said is key, but you gotta dry them really well after or they steam. I also found a quick toss in a tiny bit of oil and a lower temp, like 380, for a longer time helps them cook through before they turn to stone. What kind of oil are you using?

iris9271mo ago

My friend had the same rock-hard fry problem. She started soaking her cut potatoes in ice water for a full hour, then dried them with a clean kitchen towel until they were bone dry. A light coat of avocado oil spray and cooking at 375 for about 20 minutes, shaking halfway, finally got her fries that were crispy outside and soft inside.