The summer cottage season is over, the harvest has been stowed away, and most of our compatriots have replenished their stock of potatoes. Practice shows that one of the favorite dishes of Russians was and remains fried potatoes. Needless to say that this dish is not at all useful for humans. However, there is a way of cooking that will reduce the damage to the body to a minimum.
What is the problem
The problem is that potatoes contain starch and sugar. In fairness, it should be emphasized that everything that has been said below applies not only to potatoes, but also to many other dishes with an excess of starch. The bottom line is that during frying, acrylamide appears in potatoes - a very dangerous substance, which (according to recent studies) is also found in fairly large quantities in potato chips and fries. This substance is toxic to the human body, as it is a dangerous carcinogen.
It should be emphasized that acrylamide has been known to mankind for a long time. Moreover, it is actively used in industrial production. However, it has recently become known that it appears in many foods during frying. The toxin appears when the starch reaches a temperature of about 120 degrees Celsius. Acrylamide is released to promote the reaction of amino acids with sugars.
Note: experts from the World Health Organization note that the dangerous content of acrylamide is also noted in donuts, coffee, confectionery and corn products.
How to cook fried potatoes
Today, the food industry around the world is introducing new methods of cooking "dangerous" products in order to reduce the proportion of acrylamide released. Of course, home cooking is quite different from the conveyor one. However, there are some things that can be done to reduce the level of toxins produced in potatoes. At first, the potatoes should be cut into slices of at least 14x14 mm. Studies have shown that the thicker the slice, the less hazardous substance accumulates in it. Secondly, you must not fry the potatoes until they have a brown "chilled" crust, it is enough for the product to acquire a golden color. Thirdly, before cooking, you should put peeled potatoes in water for 1-2 hours so that excess starch comes out.
Continuing the topic, read about 8 ways to cook potato patties like meatballs and not only.