09 Apr , 20:56
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Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have discovered a way to make French fries less greasy while preserving their golden crispy crust and familiar taste. The secret turned out to be a combination of classic deep frying with microwave heating. This combination significantly reduces the amount of oil that potatoes absorb during cooking. The results of the study were published in the journal Current Research in Food Science (CRFS).
During regular frying, potatoes literally soak up oil: when heated, water evaporates intensively from them, leaving behind numerous microscopic voids. It is through these channels that oil penetrates deep into the product. It gives the dish that distinctive recognizable flavor, but at the same time sharply increases its calorie content.
As the lead author of the study, Professor of Food Engineering Pavan Singh Takhar, explained, microwave heating works on a fundamentally different principle. While in an oven or deep fryer, heat gradually moves from the surface to the center, microwaves penetrate deep into the product and heat it from within. This creates increased internal pressure that prevents oil from penetrating.
Experiments confirmed that when the two cooking methods are combined, French fries absorb noticeably less oil, reach doneness faster, and lose moisture more actively. However, using a microwave oven alone did not prove effective — the product turned out soft and lacked the desired crispy crust. That is precisely why the scientists opted for a combined approach: traditional frying is responsible for texture and taste, while microwave heating takes on the task of reducing fat content.
According to the authors of the study, the proposed technology can also be adapted for industrial equipment. This will open up the possibility for manufacturers to produce fried products with reduced oil content without noticeable losses in taste.
